Promises Of A Hero
by EpicZL
Summary: To fulfill his promises to those he held dear, Zen Takeda seeks to become a hero with the power of his Quake quirk. To reach a new future, he must overcome the issues from his difficult past. There to help him is a certain creation girl, the successor to All Might, the son of Endeavor, and the rest of Class 1-A. OCxMomo, IzukuxOchaco, and other pairings.
1. Beginning the Path

**Hey guys EpicZL here! I've really been in the mood for a My Hero Academia story so I just felt like doing one. We'll see how this turns out and if you don't get the character's quirk then an explanation will be at the end.**

Chapter 1: Beginning the path

Pain, Fear, and Sadness. These were the only things he could feel at the moment as he was crouched on the concrete in the middle of a heavy rain. He was a young child with short black hair with matching onyx colored eyes which were currently flooded with a mixture of tears and rain drops. In his arms was an old man with a muscular physique in a yellow and black hero suit. The suit was stained with a large quantity of blood from three large gashes in his chest, arm, and the side of his face.

"Come on now... you wanted to be a hero right? Then stop crying, you won't be able to help anyone like that", The old man said weakly as he smiled to the boy.

"B-But grandpa... you're really hurt. We need to get you help now", the boy said between sobs.

The old man slowly shook his head. "No, it's too late for that. I've taken a lot of injuries in my life, so I know when I'm finished".

"No! People still need you. The world still needs you", the boy said as his sobs intensified.

"Hehe... Don't worry about that. We still have All Might and all those other great heroes. As long as they're around, we'll be fine. Besides I've still got you to take over for me, Zen", the old man said as his breathing grew heavier and deeper.

"No, I can't! There's still so much you need to teach me. I can't possibly do it without you!", Zen said as he tightened his grip on his grandfather's suit causing the blood to further stain his hands.

The old man continued to smile as he placed his hand on the child's head. "You've already learned all I have to teach you. Besides you're way tougher than any kid your age should be anyway"

He then began to cough profusely as more blood seeped from his wounds and from the corner of his mouth.

"I will tell you one last thing though. Engrave this on your heart because its the most important thing I'll ever tell you".

"W-What is it?", Zen said, wiping away his tears.

"Remember... Whenever you feel like you're losing your way... or you don't know what to do... al...ways..."

Soon his grandfather's voice disappeared as everything around him turned to darkness. The looked frantically around for his grandfather, but soon the darkness turned into something completely different. He then found himself surrounded by flames inside of a familiar house. His eyes widened when he saw a familiar body on the ground with a large amount of blood pooling under him. He had short black hair much like Zen and was wearing a suit that became stained in red.

"D-Dad!", Zen said frantically as he rushed down to his father's side. His father slowly opened his soft brown eyes to the sight of his crying son.

"Z-Zen, you need... to... run", He said as he began coughing up more blood. Soon he choked up and his body went limp.

"D-Dad? Dad? Dad?!", The boy cried even harder as he tried to shake his father, only to recieve no response. He frantically looked around the burning building for help but his widened even further when he saw two other figures in the house. He saw his mother, a youthful looking woman who had short crimson red hair and onyx eyes, being held by the throat by the gloved hand of an unknown man. The man was wearing a black cowboy hat which obscured most of his upper face. All that could be seen of his face was a sinister smile which held a cigarette in his mouth. He was wearing a long black trench coat over a white undershirt along with dark pants and black boots.

"Z-Zen, please go. We'll be fine, so please", she said weakly as her attacker tightened his grip on her. Zen was completely frozen in place. He had no idea why any of this was happening or what he should do.

The unknown man looked back at him and Zen was able to catch a glimpse of his cold malicious eyes.

"I suggest you take her advice, kid. I don't feel like staining my hands with the blood of a child tonight", he said, puffing out a cloud of smoke from his mouth.

"Go!", she screamed at him with flowing out of her eyes. Zen clenched his fists and grit his teeth hard. He ran towards the open door with tears constantly flowing down his face. Just before he reached the door, however he heard his mother screaming out in pain. He slowly looked back only to be horrified when he saw his mother had been impaled through the chest by five long blades that came from the man's fingers.

As he saw the blood flow from her wounds and as her eyes began to weakly close, it was as though all time had stopped for him. All that could be heard was the sound of his heartbeat racing continuously faster as time went on. At that point, something within him snapped.

Without even thinking, his body instinctively began to run back in the opposite direction towards his mother. Although he felt more fear as he got closer, he couldn't stop himself from moving. He clenched his fist as it began to glow a white color. He then jumped and lunged towards the unsuspecting man. Just as he turned his head around, the side of his face was met with an overwhelming force from the kid's fist.

The power was so sudden and powerful that he was sent flying towards the back of the house into the flame where a loud crash could be heard from the impact.

Zen was panting heavily while both his arms and legs were shaking as he tried to process what just happened. He then looked over to his mother, who landed on the ground after being released from the man's grip.

"M-Mom...", he said slowly as he ran to her side. Just before he could reach her however, he felt a sharp pain in his chest. He slowly looked down to see that one large metal blade had completely skewered through him all the way to his back. He saw that the blade extended all the way to where he had sent the man flying earlier.

"That really hurt, you know", a voice said. The man walked back into the room with one hand covering where Zen had punched him and the other hand had turned into a long blade that stabbed Zen. The blade slowly retracted as he got closer but now before using it to lift the kid into the air. Large quantities of blood dripped down the blade from both the massive wound and the kids mouth.

"You know kid, I was going to let you off the hook, but then you had to go and mess up my face like that", the man said angrily as he brought Zen closer. Zen was unable to say anything as he felt a large amount of blood and bile clogging his throat.

"Do you feel it now, brat? That pain? That is what happens when weaklings try to stand up to the strong. Although that punch of yours wasn't bad, you are still far too weak. If you were stronger or if your parents were stronger, then chances are, you could have protected them".

His words struck Zen just as hard as the blade in his chest did. Tears began to flow even more down his face, mixing together with the blood from his wounds, as his vision began to blur.

"In this world, without strength, you can't do anything. Protecting others, fighting enemies, achieving your goals. Without individual strength, things like this are inevitable", he said coldly as he retracted his blade to reform his hand, causing Zen to fall to the ground with a grunt.

"Remember these words well kid, although I suppose it doesn't matter too much since you're about to die anyway", the man said, readjusting his hat.

Soon the sound of sirens could be heard from outside the house along with flashing red and blue lights through the windows. "Hm, it looks like I finished just in time", the man said as he fixed his clothes and prepared to leave. He tired to place his hand on his face again but winced at the pain and quickly recoiled.

"Damn, it looks like that punch hit harder than I thought", he said as he looked down at Zen who was barely conscious at this point. Afterwards he quickly ran out through the back and disappeared from sight.

Soon the flames around the house intensified with a large amount of burning debris beginning to rain down around them. The red haired woman on the floor struggled desperately to try and keep her eyes open as she could feel herself getting weaker and weaker.

"Z-Zen...", she said weakly as she tried to reach out to her son, who still lay on the floor with critical injuries. The boy barely managed to keep his eyes open and looked to his mother, but he was not able to move a single part of his body. She was able to force herself to crawl a bit closer to him until she was close enough to begin caressing his cheek.

"You really are your grandfather's child. The blood of a hero runs in you just as much as his. It's too early for you to give up here", she said as her hand started glowing the same white as it did for him earlier. Tears began to stream down her eyes as she smiled at him.

"I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry that your father and I won't be around to watch you grow up, but I'm sure you'll become an amazing hero. There's still so much I want to tell you, but this is the most important thing- N-"

Suddenly once more he couldn't hear anything around him including his mother's words. Soon after she finished speaking, his hearing returned as he saw a large amount of debris above them begin to fall down.

"W-Wait... Mom...", he could barely force out as she gave him one last tearful smile. Suddenly he felt an invisible force push him rapidly towards the open front door. He then saw the sight if his mother being replaced by all the burning debris with a loud crash.

"Wait...Please!", he said as he tried to reach out his arm towards her. Soon he was encassed in complete darkness. "Wait!

O--O

(6 Years Later)

Zen gasped as he opened his eyes and bolted upright. He looked around and noticed he was on his bed in his room.He saw that his hand was outstretched towards the ceiling. He sighed as he took his hand to wipe the sweat from his brow.

"Damn it... I still can't hear them", he said. He looked over to his digital clock to see that it was nearly 8.

"Oh right, tommorow's the day".

He got up and went to go and take shower. He took off his shirt and looked in the mirror to wash his face. He was young man who was 15 years old. He had short black spiky hair and a face that many described as handsome and as being nice to look at. Although his face nearly always carried a serious and often times cold expression. He had sharp onyx eyes which often had a cold look in them. He was fairly tall and had a very muscular and athletic build for someone his age but his most notable feature that stood out was the scar on his chest. It was a long slightly slanted scar that went from below his collarbone to just above his six pack. Another of the same scar was on his back in the exact position from the front meaning that it was from the same wound that had gone completely through. Although it was largely faded and light now, it was still very noticeable from the mirror and very few people knew about it.

After taking a shower, he threw on his school uniform, which consisted of a white button up shirt with a dark navy blue jacket over it. He went downstairs to the kitchen and began cooking breakfast. After about 5 minutes he placed two plates on the dining table, each covered with a sunny side-up egg, sausages, and several pieces of sliced oranges and apples.

After finishing his breakfast and washing his plate, he grabbed his backpack and prepared to leave, just as he was about to exit the kitchen, he heard a loud yawn. He looked up the stairs to see someone lazily walking down. It was a slim, youthful looking woman in her mid twenties who was about his height. She had long straight red hair that reached her back. She lazily opened her eyes to reveal soft brown orbs under her red circular rimmed glasses. She was Zen's older sister, Hina Takeda. She was still in her nightgown as she lifted her glasses to rub her eyes.

"Oh, good morning Zen. You're sure up early today", she said tiredly as she yawned.

Zen let out a sigh as he looked at the time on his phone. "You do realize what time it is right? You're going to be late for work at this rate".

She blinked a few times before pulling out her phone.

"Eeeehhhh?!"

She quickly bolted back upstairs to the bathroom. Where Zen could hear her racing around to get ready.

"Ah jeez. And how old are you? How many times are you going to do this?". He said scratching his head. In a few seconds he saw her running back down the stairs, this time in white dress shirt, blue jeans and a white doctor's coat on her. She frantically ran past him into the kitchen with a frantic look on her face. "Oh no! I'm going to be so late! The hospital's going to kill me!", she said as she quickly began to eat the plate that Zen had prepared earlier for her.

Zen sighed as he slipped his black shoes on and opened the front door. "I'm going now. Don't forget to lock the door when you leave", he said as he closed the door and began to walk to school.

About halfway there, he noticed a group of students who wore the same uniform he did. They had fully surrounded a girl with the same uniform. She had long brown hair tied into a ponytail with matching eyes. She was tightly clutching her books with a scared look on her face.

"Please I'm sorry! I didn't mean to bump into you like that!", the girl said meekly as she clutched her eyes shut.

"Heh! Didn't mean to, eh? Don't worry we'll make sure it never happens again!", one of them said as he raised his fist.

"You moron causing trouble again?", Zen said.

They all stopped immediately and broke into a cold sweat upon realizing who it was. They turned around to see Zen walking towards them.

"T-Takeda!", one of them said nervously.

"I see you haven't learned your lesson yet", Zen said as he glared at them.

"No! Please! We know, it was just in the spur of the moment, that's all!", one of them said as he bowed towards Zen.

"I'll let you idiots off this time, but..."

He grabbed the collar of the one who tried to hit the girl earlier and looked at him straight in the eye. The boy could only feel fear as he saw the coldness of Zen's onyx colored eyes.

"Just because I won't be around anymore, it doesn't mean you're free to cause trouble again. If I hear so much as a word about you all then I promise you all won't get off so easy next time", he said seriously.

The teen whimpered at Zen as he recalled the last time Zen had "disciplined" him and the others.

"We promise we won't cause anymore trouble! From now on we'll even keep other's in line for you!", they all said bowing to him.

Zen let go of his collar as he meekly stepped back.

"Good, now get going. You're going to be late", Zen said. They all quickly nodded and ran in the direction of the school. The girl stood there amazed as she clutched her books closer to her chest.

"U-Um, thank you so much, Takeda", the girl said shyly.

"It's no problem. You're Irumi from my class, right? If you see them causing any more problems, the. Tell me alright", He said as he began to walk to the school.

"U-Uh, right...", Irumi said while hiding a blush as she followed behind him.

O--O

Later, Zen sat in class with a bored expression on his face as his teacher gave a lecture on their final day. Irumi sat a row behind him, while occasionally stealing glances at him. Their teacher was pacing back and forth while giving a speech. He was an old man, who had a small white mustache, bald, and round glasses. He wore a standard suit and tie and had a kind face.

"Now everyone, seeing as this is our final day together, I want to wish you all luck on pursuing your futures. Whether you want a career in medicine, law, engineering, or perhaps even being a hero, I hope you don't forget the lessons you learned here. And speaking of being a hero, I know that one person here is taking the U.A. Entrance Exam tomorrow", the old man said while smiling.

Everyone in the room began to talk and whisper to each other.

"Yeah, it's Takeda isn't it?

"He's the only one strong enough here to do that"

"What is his Quirk anyway?"

"Not many people have seen it, he rarely ever uses it. He doesn't even need it, and he was still strong enough to beat up all those bullies. They're all terrified of him now"

"Man, top grades, crazy strong, and all the girls love him, thats just unfair..."

As everyone was talking. Zen wasn't paying attention as he looked out the window boredly while leaning on his hand. Soon the day went by in a flash, as everyone said their goodbyes to each other. Zen was the last one in class as he put his backpack on and prepared to leave.

"Oh wait a moment, Mr. Takeda", the teacher said from his desk.

"Yes sir?", Zen said as he walked up to his desk.

"I just wanted to say, it's been a pleasure having you here at this school and that we'll miss you", the man said.

"No, it should be me thanking you. You've taught me a lot these past few years and I'm grateful", Zen said politely.

"No, what I've done is trivial. You've done far more for this school than we could ask. You've subjugated those delinquents effortlessly and kept them in line all these years. Although I don't usual condone violence, you've managed to set them straight and now they are all model students. You've also helped out around the school far more times than I could count".

"Well even if I didn't do it, someone else would've done it anyway. Well, if they ever get out of hand, just give me a call and I'll be happy to come back and put them in line", Zen said.

The man chuckled. "I don't think that'll be necessary. They all seem quite well behaved now. Well, Either way I wanted to wish you luck on your exam tomorrow. You're the first person from our school to take that exam in a long time now. I have no doubt you'll do fabulously on it".

"Thank you, sir. I'll do my best", Zen said as he started walking out.

"Oh wait. One more thing", he said. Zen stopped and looked back at him.

"I know that when it comes to smarts or strength, you are unmatched here but please take some moments to get along with others when you can. I know that these past years you've been here, you haven't really made any friends. I hope you'll take the time to get to know others. I'm sure it'll help in you in the long run", the old man said.

Zen sighed, "I'll take those words into consideration". He appeared unmoved by the man's words as he left the class and closed the door behind him. As the old man sat on his desk, he sighed.

"(Even after all these years, the coldness in his eyes still haven't changed one bit. He's one of kind and I'm sure he'll be a great hero, but I really hope he'll meet someone who can ease the pain in those eyes)", he thought as he looked at the sunset through the window.

O--O

As Zen left the school and began walking home, he heard the sound of someone running behind him.

"Takeda! Please wait a moment".

Zen turned around to see Irumi, the girl from earlier in the morning, running up to him.

"Yes?", he asked.

"There's something I've been wanting to tell you for a long time now...", she said as she twiddled her thumbs together. Her face was burning red and she could feel her heart pounding in her chest.

"Seeing as how this probably the last time we'll see each other, I have to say... I like you! Please go out with me!", she blurted as she bowed her head to him.

Zen turned away from her and sighed. "Sorry, But I can't accept your confession", he said coldly. Irumi froze at his words and slowly looked back up.

"Look, I don't mean to hurt your feelings but it's me, not you. Your a smart and kind girl and I could never give you what you would want in a relationship. Besides, you and I barely know each other. What you feel for me is just a little crush, you'll get over it before long. So I'm sorry", he said as he started walking away.

"I understand... A lot of girls have confessed to you over the years but you've rejected everyone of them so I already expected this. I just wanted to tell you before you left is all", she said with sadness in her voice as she clenched her fists tightly.

Zen stopped but didn't look back. "Irumi, you wanted to become a nurse right?".

She looked up surprised. "Um, yes I do".

"I'm sure you'll become an amazing one so good luck. Also my sister's a doctor so if you ever need it, I can ask her to put in a good word for you in the hospital", Zen said.

"Thank you... that really means a lot to me. And I'm sure you'll become a great hero. I'll be rooting for you all the way", she said with a tearful smile.

"Thanks. Well see you", he said as he walked away.

As she saw his figure growing more distant, she could help but continuing to smile even with the sadness she felt in her heart.

"(He was so cold and yet he was so kind at the same time. He really is special)", she thought sadly as she put her hand over her heart.

Later as Zen was nearing his home, he felt a buzz from his pocket. He pulled put his phone and saw a text from his sister.

 _I'm sorry, I'll be home late tonight. You can just put my food in the fridge. I'll eat later. THX_

After getting home, he put his things away and began cooking. After finishing, he quickly ate his meal before putting his sister's in the fridge. Soon he took off his shirt and stood in front of a large reinforced metal door in his house. He took a deep breath and began stretching his arms. "Alright. Let's make this one good before tomorrow", he said as he opened the door.

Once inside, he found himself in a large room with all of the walls and the floor covered in silver metal. When he walked in, several compartments in the floor opened up and various targets and obstacles popped up from them. He got into a fighting stance and closed his eyes.

"It all starts tommorow, watch over me Grandpa, Mom, Dad... I will get stronger no matter what", he said as he reopened his eyes and his fists started to glow.

O--O

The next day, Zen steadily woke up to the sound of his alarm clock with all of his muscles feeling sore. Upon remembering what day it was, he quickly went to the bathroom and got ready. Afterwards he rushed downstairs and to his surprise, his sister was already sitting at the table fully dressed for work.

"Actually up on time today?", Zen asked as started cooking breakfast.

Hina pouted at his comment. "Meanie, I can get early on time if I want to. Besides, today's an important day for you isn't it?".

"I guess so", he said nonchalantly as he placed a plate of food in front of her.

"Come on, surely you're at least a little excited or maybe nervous", Hina said as started munching down on her food.

Zen put his plate down and started eating with her. "Not really, I've been prepared for this for a while now besides it's just an entrance exam. If I'm not able to do this then I'll never be able to become a hero".

"Oh come on, you've been training nonstop everyday in your life. I'm one hundred percent sure you'll ace it!", she said with a smile.

"Hm, we'll see", he said as he finished his food and started to wash his plate.

"Either way, I'm rooting for you. Also, do you need a lift to U.A? I know it's a little far from here", she said as she handed him her plate.

"Nah, it's fine. I'll just take the train", he said as he finished washing the dishes. He put on his school uniform and grabbed his backpack as he headed towards the door.

"Hey wait. One more thing Zen", Hina said.

Before he could turn around he felt a pair of arms wrap around him from behind.

"Good Luck, alright?"

Zen's expression was unchanging as he nonchalantly said, "Yeah, thanks sis".

He closed the door behind leaving his sister there to sigh.

"It still hurts, huh? Mom, Dad... please look after him".

O--O

"So this is U.A...", Zen said to himself as he marveled at the large building before him. He looked around to notice countless other students entering the building, each one wearing different uniforms. There was one student in particular who caught his eye.

He saw a messy green haired boy around his age in a black school uniform. He was talking to a brown haired girl with an embarrassed look on his face. Although he could be described as a rather plain looking boy, Zen felt something different about him. He shook his head to clear his thoughts.

"(I don't have time to think about others right now. I just need to focus on this exam)", he thought as he entered the building.

There he was lead to a large room with the other students. He was given his written test which he easily finished before the others. Soon after everyone was finished, everyone was lead to another room where the practical exam would be explained. There as he took a seat, a man with tall blond hair and sunglasses known as Present Mic walked up to the podium and began explaining the course. As he was explaining, Zen heard some indistinguishable muttering to his left. As he look over he saw the green haired boy from before who seemed to be in heavy thought. He was then reprimanded by a tall student with glasses.

Zen couldn't help but feel a strange sensation in his guy as he looked at the boy. "(He seems ordinary, but why do I feel so uneasy?)", he thought. He was snapped out of his thoughts when the screen at the front changed. It featured three different types of enemies ranging from one to three points along with an obstacle worth no points. After the presentation was complete, Zen received a slip telling him to go to section D. First he went to the bathroom and pulled out his clothes from his backpack. Replacing his school uniform was a black short sleeved muscle shirt that showed off his muscular top. His left sleeve had a white pattern that stretched to around his collar. He also had black and white shorts, white running shoes and black wristbands on. After putting away his things, he proceeded outside with the rest of his group.

Soon he found himself before what seemed like a massive city area. He looked around at the other examinees, but none really stood out to him. As he was looking around, an announcement came on.

"Everyone Begin! In the real world there is no countdown so I hope you're ready!", Present Mic's voice said as the gates opened. Everyone rushed in the same direction as quickly as they could leaving only Zen behind who seemed unimpressed.

"Those idiots, if they all go in the same place then there'll be less points to go around", Zen said as he closed his eyes. He then tapped his foot several times on the ground. In his head, he could hear countless footsteps in front of him moving further away. He then felt a large wave of vibrations further to the right of that group. He opened his eyes and looked to the right.

"So there are a lot from that direction...", he said as he began running that way away from the group. Soon he found himself on an empty street with no sign of anyone else. A loud rumbling could then be heard as a large swarm of green robots, each numbered from one to three, advanced along the street until they stopped in front of him.

"Alright then, let's see how tough these things really are", Zen said. The machines then rapidly charged towards him. Zen pulled his hand out of his pocket. His hand then glowed a soft white as he formed a fist. As drew closer, Zen launched a punch through the air which seemed to hit nothing. A split second later, a powerful shockwave was sent towards the robots which destroyed everything in it's path, including the road until it finally reached the army of machines. The force of the shockwave was too strong causing every robot to be instantly pushed back and destroyed, creating a massive explosion at the end of the street.

He then felt a vibration from the ground and instinctively moved his head to the left, causing a green robotic arm to just barely pass by his neck. Zen grabbed the arm with great force, denting it. He then looked up and noticed yet another robot flying towards him at a rapid speed. Zen quickly threw the robot he was holding on to over his shoulder towards the one that was approaching him. Immediately after they collided, Zen launched another shockwave, instantly destroying both of them. He then felt another vibration beneath him. Just as a robot's head popped up from the ground, Zen stomped his foot down on it's head, destroying it.

From below his foot, he was able to sense even more incoming robots from underground. He closed his eyes and focused.

"Six... eight... no thirteen...", Zen said as he focused on the vibrations from the ground. Once he got a lock on their locations, his foot glowed white and sent a another powerful shockwave through the ground. The entire ground began to crumble as his shockwave kept moving forward. Soon several consecutive explosions occured beneath the ground causing the entire ground in the area to become a pile of rubble.

"That appears to be all of them around here. There shouldn't be much time left and it doesn't look like a lot of enemies remain. I should've really kept track of those numbers", Zen said rubbing his chin. He was surprised however, when he felt the ground shake around him. He looked around but noticed nothing was nearby. He then closed his eyes to try and find what the source of the rumbling was. His eyes widened when he figured out where it was coming from. It came from the spot where majority of the examinees ran off to at the start. He quickly began to sprint back in that direction with a bad feeling in his gut.

When he arrived at the main street, countless people were running in the opposite direction towards him. He found the cause when he looked up to see a colossal sized robot towering above him.

"Ahhh!!! Somebody please help!", a high pitched voice cried out. Zen looked down the road to see a small boy who appeared to have fallen down. He was a short boy with a big head and big eyes. His most notable feature was his hair which resembled grapes. Next to him were two others who were heavily shaking and appeared to be frozen with fear. One was a girl with pink skin, yellow antennae on her head and piercing black eyes. The other one was a boy with blond hair with a streak of black going through one of his bangs and yellow eyes. All three were unable to move as the machine drew closer, threatening to crush them. They all closed their eyes in fear as it came closer but to their surprise it never came.

They heard a large clanging sound as they opened their eyes to see Zen in front of them with his hand on the machine which appeared to have stopped. He then sent a shockwave through the robot which quickly sent it reeling back several meters away while destroying everything around it. The robot nearly threatened to topple over from the force but was able to regain balance with barely any noticeable damage aside from a few dents.

"It's much sturdier than the others", Zen said slightly surprised.

"Wow thanks a lot! We should use this chance to run", The grape haired boy said as he began to run away with the others.

"Hey, come on. Aren't you coming?", the alien like girl asked as she looked back at him. Zen said nothing as he looked up at the robot which resumed it's advance. Then to everyone's surprise, Zen began to run full speed towards the robot.

"H-Hey! Are you crazy? There's no point in trying to take down that thing! Besides your last attack barely dented it!", the blond haired boy said.

Zen continued running while paying him no mind. He then stopped once he was close to the robot. His feet started to glow and the force of the shockwaves sent him high up, breaking the ground below him.

"That's because, I wasn't serious yet", he said seriously as he tightly clenched his fist. His fist began to glow but this time it was different. A glowing bubble formed around his fist which let off slow yet heavy vibrations. He pulled his fist back before lunging forward. The moment the edge of the bubble touched the robot, it was as if the force of an entire earthquake hit at once. The machine was instantly forced back with a massive hole blown roght through it. Soon the rest of it's body followed as large consecutive explosions began to ignite. The force of the shockwave would continue past it, causing massive damage to all the building's around it. Soon even more destruction would be caused as the remaining pieces of the robot began to crash down on the makeshift city.

Everyone in the area had a look of utter shock as they witnessed the unbelievable sight before them. Their eyes never left Zen as he landed back down unharmed.

"W-What the hell?!"

"That giant thing got taken out by a single punch? No way!"

"Just who is that?!"

Everyone remained in a state of shock while trying to process what had just happened as they heard a loud buzzer ring throughout the area.

"And times up! The practical exam is now over!", Present Mic's voice said through the announcement but no one paid him any mind as they were still in awe at what they had just witnessed

The only ones able to move were the three who had been saved by Zen earlier as they quickly ran up to him.

"That was amazing! How did you do that?!", the pink haired girl asked.

"That was so cool! I'm really jealous", the graped haired boy said disappointed.

Zen didn't respond and didn't even turn to look at them, however as he looked down at his hand. He sighed and a had a disappointed look on his face as he clenched his fist tightly.

"It's still not enough... It's still too far away..."

 **And there we have it folks. The first chapter of this fanfic. The other chapters won't be this long or at least most of them won't. I'm going to be going back and forth between this one and my other story so, I'll just be transitioning between the two. So stay tuned for the next chapter!**

 **Character Description(Narrator's Voice from MHA)- Zen Takeda! Age- 15 ,Quirk- Quake. His body creates vibrations which he can utilize to form shockwaves similar to the power of an earthquake! He can either send them as long ranged shockwaves or concentrate them into quake bubbles on his hands and legs. He can also sense vibrations from the ground to pinpoint certain targets in the area. (Think of a nerfed down version of Whitebeard's power from One Piece).**


	2. Welcome to UA

**Welp here we go with the next chapter of Promises of a Hero. I needed a bit of time to plan out how I wanted this story to play out so sorry about that delay. Now I have a good idea on the direction of this fic as well as a rough schedule on how I want to do this. Alright so here we go with chapter 2 so please enjoy.**

Chapter 2: Welcome to U.A.

"The applicants this year are really something now, aren't they?" a small mouse like animal in a suit said with amusement as he sipped a cup of tea.

Beside him were several teachers who were discussing among themselves about the results of the exam. They were currently in a dark room lit by large screens displaying various recordings of examinees in the practical exam. The largest screen in the center held a list of the results of the top 10 examinees with their scores.

1\. Zen Takeda VP-83 RP-60 Total-143

2\. Katsuki Bakugo VP-77 RP-0 Total-77

3\. Eijiro Kirishima VP-39 RP-35 Total-74

4\. Ochaco Uraraka VP-28 RP-45 Total-73

5\. Ibara Shiozaki VP-36 RP-32 Total-68

6\. Itsuka Kendo VP-25 RP-40 Total-65

7\. Tenya Iida VP-52 RP-9 Total-61

8\. Izuku Midoriya VP-0 RP-60 Total-60

9\. Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu VP-49 RP-10 Total-59

10\. Fumikage Tokoyami VP-47 RP-10 Total-57

"Two were even able to destroy the 0 point robot this year. Although it's not the first time it's happened, for two of them to be taken out in one exam is quite unheard of," the elderly hero known as Recovery Girl stated.

"Yeah but that Izuku Midoriya one got seriously injured right afterwards. He's got power but if he gets that injured after a single attack then it'll be pretty tough going forward," Vlad King said as he crossed his arms. The screen changed to the video of Izuku lying on the ground with a broken arm and leg.

A blond skeleton-like man with piercing blue eyes looked at the man and interjected, "Yes, but you can't deny he's got potential. If he can master that quirk then no doubt he'll be able become a promising hero".

Nezu smiled at the man and took another sip from his cup. "Yes, that's true, but I'm more interested in that other boy though.

The screen then played various recordings of Zen's fights against the robots. The teachers all watched with interest at his skillful handling of the obstacles.

"He seems to be very promising. Such mastery with his quirk and excellent combat skills. He even got by far the highest score in the practical exam with villain points and tied for rescue points. Not to mention he's got a cute face and a nice body," Midnight purred seductively much to the discomfort of the other staff members.

"He's definitely one to keep an eye on. In fact his score is the highest since you were here, All Might," Nezu said. His words didn't register, however as All Might stared intently at the screen with a serious face.

"All Might?" Nezu called out, but received no response from the hero, who seemed to be lost in his thoughts.

"(Zen Takeda... that quirk... could he be...)" All Might thought as he felt his mind racing. He placed his hand over his side where his wound was located. He felt a wave of pain throughout his side, but it couldn't compare to the pain and sadness he suddenly in his heart.

O-O

"Come on, come on!" Hina whined

"Jeez, calm down," Zen said slightly annoyed at his sister's antics. It had been a week since the entrance exam, and after the long wait, he finally received word from the academy. In his hand was a package from U.A. which contained his results.

Zen sat himself down on the couch and slowly began to open the package with his older sister anxiously waiting for him. Inside was a disc and several forms. Taking the disc, he stood up and inserted it into the dvd player beneath the large flat screen TV in front of the couch. As the TV began to turn on, Hina took a seat next to her brother. He turned to her to see that she was shaking with a nervous look on her face.

"What's going on with you? You look way more nervous than you should be, it's my exam, you know" Zen said, raising a brow at his sister's reaction.

"Shouldn't you be more nervous?! This is a big deal!" Hina said anxiously.

She was then cut off by the screen suddenly turning much brighter. The screen was suddenly filled with flashy lights with dramatic music playing in the background. A figure then jumped on to the set, surprising the siblings. His face was easily recognized as there was not a single person on the planet who did not know who the man was. The large muscular man wore a bright yellow suit which matched the colors in the background. He had short blond hair with distinctive bangs standing proudly above his head. Beneath his dark shrouded eyes was a large and bright smile which the world had come to know very well.

"Greetings, Young Takeda!" All Might shouted proudly which caused his voice to resonate throughout the living room. His mighty voice nearly caused Hina to fall over the couch in shock and prompted Zen to slightly lower the volume in annoyance.

"All Might? What's he doing here?" Hina questioned as she readjusted her glasses.

"You might be surprised by my appearance here, but don't be! From now on I'll be a new teacher at U.A!" he exclaimed proudly.

Zen was greatly surprised by the news, and he felt a part of him shaking. Just before he could get lost in his thoughts, he turned his attention back to the screen.

"Now enough about me. This is about you, Young Takeda! I am most excited to tell you about your results in the exam. Firstly you passed with full points in the written portion, however the most important part was your practical results!"

Zen suddenly started feeling slightly nervous as a drum roll began to play in the video. He looked over to see Hina curled up with knees over her mouth. Excitement and anxiety clouded her eyes as she could barely contain herself. Seeing his sister in this state made Zen roll his eyes and shake his head at her, yet it also served to calm him down. The drum roll then suddenly stopped ,and All Might placed his hand out dramatically.

"Congratulations! You passed with flying colors!" All Might said gleefully as a small screen appeared with the rankings of the top 10 students. Both siblings' eyes widened as they saw Zen's name at the very top.

"Well done, Young Takeda. You have passed at the top of your class. Beginning next week, you will be enrolled into Class 1-A at U.A high," All Might said.

Zen clenched his fist tightly and could feel his heart beating faster.

"Zen Takeda... Welcome to the hero academia. You worked hard to get here. Now be prepared to work just as hard, Plus Ultra!" All Might exclaimed as the screen blacked out.

After a few seconds of silence, Hina suddenly burst into the air.

"You did it!" the red head yelped happily as tightly embraced her brother.

"Yeah..." Zen said with his usual calm demeanor. His fist however was clenched tight from the news he received.

"Come on... be a little more happy, will you? You worked so hard to get here, and it's finally happening," she said gently as she slowly patted his head.

"Right," he said emotionlessly as he was still in deep thought. In his mind, he had a firm resolve which showed clearly through his eyes.

"(I'm finally going to U.A... what's more is All Might will be there too. Everyone... I will get stronger, just you wait)" Zen thought with strong determination.

He was pulled from his thoughts afterwards when Hina grabbed the other papers that were in the package.

"So what are these? Hero costume forms?" Hina said, inspecting the contents of the sheets.

"Hero costumes? I've never really thought about those," Zen said.

"What?! You've been wanting to become a hero all these years, yet you've never once thought about what you wanted to look like?!" She said dumbfounded by her brother.

"As long as I can defeat villains, does it really matter what I look like?" Zen asked crossing his arms.

The red head rubbed the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes.

"For someone so smart, you are really are single minded aren't you?" She said sighing.

Zen shrugged as he laid back on the couch.

"I still don't see what's the big deal, besides you know I'm not good at that creative stuff".

Hina's face then suddenly lit up as as an idea came to her head. "How about I plan out your costume then?" She asked with a glimmer in her eyes.

Zen raised an eyebrow at her. "What? Why?"

"Come on! I've been dreaming about this for a while now. I promise it'll be really good!" Hina insisted with a shine of confidence behind her.

Seeing the determined look on his sister's face, Zen knew there was no point in arguing. "Alright, fine. Just please don't make it ridiculous," Zen said sighing.

Hina smirked and began walking upstairs with the paper in her hand. "Don't worry, you'll look extra heroic once it's done", she said confidently as she disappeared upstairs.

Zen then lied down on to the couch and stared at the ceiling. He soon felt a wave of sleepiness pass through him and he closed his eyes. Soon memories of his grandfather and parents played through his head once more. Just like every time in the past six years, he still found himself unable to hear their final words. Shaking himself awake, he saw that four hours had passed. Sighing once more, he dragged himself upstairs to his room, he began to prepare himself for the week ahead.

O-O

The next week passed by in a flash, and it had finally become Zen's first day at U.A high. Zen was in the kitchen fixing him his new uniform. On the table beside him was a plate filled with a delicious looking combination of eggs and pancakes.

Hina walked into the kitchen in her pajamas with a drowsy look on her face. There was still drool running down the side of her mouth and her glasses were slanted.

"Huh? You aren't going to eat?" Hina asked drowsily as she noticed there was only one plate on the table.

"I already did. U.A's pretty far from here, so I have to leave early to catch the train," he said, adjusting his tie. Once he finished, he grabbed his backpack and prepared to leave.

"Alright, I'll be going now, hm?" Zen look confused when he saw his sister's eyes deeply concentrated on him with a smile.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

Hina lightly chuckled. "Oh it's nothing. I was just thinking about how good you look in that uniform. I've also just noticed how much you've grown. I remember you used to be so little and now here you are, the same height as me and going off to U.A," she said with a warm smile.

Zen raised a brow at her. "Hm? What's gotten into you all of a sudden?" He asked.

"Forget it, it's nothing. Now come on! You're going to be late," she said cheerfully as she pushed him towards the door. After pushing him outside and closing the door, she had a sad smile on her face as she slid down the door. Sighing, she looked over to a small picture frame on a shelf. She walked over and picked up the picture. It showed a young five year old Zen with a bright smile on his face. Next to him was Hina's sixteen year old self who was much taller than Zen at the time. Behind them were their two parents who had joyous looks on their faces. Their father had short black hair, brown eyes with facial features that resembled Hina's. He was wearing a white doctors coat over his dress shirt. His hand was ruffling Zen's spiky black hair. Next ot him was their mother who had short red hair and onyx eyes that matched Zen's. She wore a white dress and black heels while her hand rested on Hina's shoulder.

"He's really grown up so fast... I'm sure you two would've been really proud to see him now," she sId running her fingers through the photo.

O-O

"Class 1-A, huh?" Zen said to himself as he wandered through the long halls of U.A. He looked around to see multiple students walking through, many with strange characteristics from their quirks. Soon he found himself in front of a door with a sign saying "1-A" above it. Sliding the door open, he was surprised to see three people immediately on the other side.

The first was the green haired boy who he saw at the entrance exam. Beside him was a brown haired girl with bubbly looking face. Between them was the tall boy with glasses from the entrance exam. He walked past them without saying a word, and he looked around for an empty seat.

"Hey! It's you!" A familiar pink skin girl happily exclaimed as she ran up to him.

"Hm? Oh, hey. Good to see you're still alright...," Zen said, unsure of her name.

"It's Mina Ashido! I've been really wanting to meet you again to say thanks! By the way, what's your name?" She asked enthusiastically.

"Zen Takeda. It's no big deal. I just happened to be there. Anyone else would've done the same," he said as he looked around for a seat. Bakugo was seated near them opened his eyes at the sound of his Zen's name. As Zen looked around, the other two from before joined them.

"Hey man, you really saved our bacon back there. Thanks a lot. The names Kaminari by the way," Kaminari said giving him a thumbs up. The shorter boy eyed Zen carefully up and down.

"Hm. Cool, handsome, and strong. Alright, how about being my wingman to pick up some hot babes later?," Mineta snickered while having perverse thoughts only to be ignored by Zen who walked past him.

As he found a seat in the back, Zen felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking over, he saw an angry looking Bakugo.

"You said your name was Takeda?" He asked menacingly with scowl on his face.

"Yeah and what about it?" Zen asked while suddenly feeling a wave of irritation pass through him. For some reason, the sight of Bakugo instantly made Zen dislike the guy.

"You bastard, don't think just because you got first place in the exam means that you're better than me," he glaring at Zen. Zen knocked away Bakugo's hand and turned away.

"I never said that, nor do I care who you are. There's no point in getting so worked up over an entrance exam. We're both here now, so who cares?" Zen said coldly as walked away much to Bakugo's annoyance.

"You bastard! What did you just say?!" Bakugo yelled out angrily. He was about to walk up to Zen, but found himself being held back by Kirishima and Kaminari.

Sighing, Zen thought to himself, "(Man, I can already tell I'm never going to get along with that idiot)".

Seeing a seat at the back of the room, he began to make his way there. While he did so, he could hear Bakugo shouting loud profanities at him. At the back he saw a seat between two students. One was a girl with long black hair which was styled into a spiky ponytail. The other was a boy with red and white hair with a burn mark on his left eye.

"Is this seat taken?" Zen asked.

"Hm? Oh no it isn't. Go ahead" the black haired girl responded politely.

As he placed his things down and took a seat, his eyes met with Todoroki's. As if perfectly in sync, they both felt each other's presences at the same time.

"(This guy... he's dangerous)," they both thought at once.

Zen was interrupted from his thoughts when he heard Bakugo cursing even louder at him.

"Wow, it seems like he's really mad at you," The black hair girl said.

Zen sighed, "Just ignore him. He'll tire himself out eventually. All this over the entrance exam, how stupid".

"Well, it's still pretty impressive that you managed to get first place out of all those people. I got in through recommendations, so it was pretty different," she explained.

"Recommendations, huh? That's still pretty impressive. That means you've been recognized by some pros right?" Zen said.

She sighed, "Not really... it's just because my mother is a pro. But one day, I'll become a great hero just like her".

Hearing her talk about her mother reminded Zen of his own grandfather. " _Grandpa! I want to be a hero just like you one day!"_ His younger self's voice rang out in his head. A small, nearly unnoticeable frown formed on lips.

"I see. I'm sure you'll be able to do it," he said.

"Thanks. My name is Momo Yaoyorozu by the way. You're Takeda, right? What is your goal?", she asked curiously.

"It's nothing special" he answered vaguely.

"Oh, come on, I'm sure it's-"

Before she could finish, their teacher Shota Aizawa cleared his throat at the front of the class. He began looking around the room with his baggy eyes.

"Well, it looks like everyone is here. My name is Aizawa, and I'll be your homeroom teacher from now on. I hope you're ready because your first test starts now," he said with a sudden seriousness in his voice.

"What?!" Most of the class exclaimed. Zen crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes.

"Don't be so surprised. You're in the top school for heroes now. That means for the next three years, you're going to be put through the wringer. That's what Plus Ultra means, if you have a problem with it, you can leave anytime," Aizawa said.

Looking around, he could see many them nervous while others were like Zen and Shoto were fully composed.

"If there are no problems then get changed and come outside," Aizawa said as he left he room. As the door closed, everyone began to panic amongst themselves about their upcoming test.

The three in the back, however seemed completely undeterred. "I don't see why everyone is so surprised. Considering this schools reputation, it should've been pretty obvious," Momo said with confused look.

Zen shrugged as he stood up. "Well not everyone has that insight. Either way, let's see what he wants from us".

Pulling out his P.E uniform from his backpack, he began to leave the room with Momo beside him.

"I'm still not too sure about that Mr. Aizawa. He doesn't seem too reliable," Momo said.

"Don't underestimate him. I can tell he's really strong," Zen said.

"How are you so sure?" Momo asked with a confused look on her face.

"Just a feeling. I can tell when people have a lot of strength," he said calmly while eyeing Izuku who was ahead of him. He narrowed his eyes at the boy, as he suddenly felt another strange feeling begin well up inside of him. To Zen, Izuku's presence somehow felt familiar to him.

O-O

Later everyone had gathered outside in the courtyard. Zen was now dressed in his blue and white uniform like everyone else. It fit him tightly as his muscular build clearly showed through the shirt. Behind him, Mina and Toru were ogling him with blushes on their faces, but Zen ignored them. Once outside Aizawa explained that their first test was to determine their abilities with their quirks. The student who ends up in last place would be expelled immediately which sent most of the class into a panic.

"The first test will determine your speed, Iida and Takeda are first," Aizawa said, pointing to a small track as he pulled out his phone to time them. Zen walked to the start with Iida right next to him. As the got into position, Aizawa raised his hand.

"Go!" He shouted out as he started his timer.

In an instant Zen's feet glowed white and Iida's jets ignited. The ground beneath Zen completely crumbled as he propelled himself towards the finish. Iida beside him, launched himself the exact same time. In a few second, both students were suddenly on the other side of the track, much to the shock and amazement of their classmates. Aizawa showed them their times with Zen at 3.03 seconds and Iida at 3.04 seconds.

Iida walked up to Zen with a smile. "Wow, that speed of yours is truly amazing, Takeda.

"No, speed isn't my specialty. I just used my quirk in a different way to expand my skill set. Overall it's still nowhere near good enough. You're control with while running with your quirk is much better than mine," Ze complimented with his usual calm expression. He then turned his attention to the other students who began to take the test. He particularly took note of Bakugo and Todoroki.

"(Hm... Bakugo's use of his quirk isn't half bad. Unfortunately he's an idiot and not nearly strong enough for what I'm looking for. Todoroki's strong for sure, but it looks like he has something holding him back. Then theres...)", Zen thought as he examined his classmates. His thoughts trailed off once he saw Izuku slowly running across the track.

"Why isn't he using his quirk?" Zen asked, confused. Iida looked just as confused as him.

"I'm not too sure..." Iida said, rubbing his chin.

Bakugo then walked up to them with smug look on his face. "Heh, you two don't know? It's because that loser doesn't have a quirk!" Bakugo said mockingly which annoyed Zen.

"What?! He does have a quirk. He used it during the entrance exam!" Iida explained.

"What? Stop being stupid, there's no way he has a quirk!" Bakugo yelled out angrily as the two began to argue. Zen meanwhile was occupied in his analysis of Izuku.

"(I don't get it. Why can't I shake off this feeling about him... I can tell he's strong but... there's something else going on here)". As he kept pondering his thoughts, he was snapped out of it by Iida's hand waving in front of his face.

"Hey Takeda, is something the matter? The next course is about to start" Iida said worriedly.

"Oh sorry, it's nothing. Let's go," Zen said, returning to his usual calm, collected self.

As the tests continued on, Zen easily aced each category. He found them all to be much easier than he had expected, but something just wouldn't stop bothering him as he continued. In each test they had taken so far, Izuku had yet to use his quirk even once.

"(At this rate, he'll end up in last place. Is there some reason he's not using his power?)" Zen thought as he saw Izuku struggling through another one of the courses. Soon they reached the softball throwing test where Bakugo had demonstrated his throw earlier which reached an impressive 705.2 meters. Soon it was Zen's turn to go as he stepped up to the plate. Gripping the ball tightly in his hand, he took a deep breath. His hand then began to glow a soft white as he pulled back. He then threw the ball with all his force and just before it left his hand, he released a powerful shockwave. The ground around him instantly and violently cracked as the shockwave propelled his ball through the air. His classmates were pushed back by the sudden force as the ball disappeared from sight. Once it landed, Aizawa's phone showed a number of 750 meters. Everyone was in complete shock over the impressive distance as well as large crack in the ground from where Zen stood.

"Alright Midoriya, you're last," Aizawa said.

Zen then walked over to the sidelines and took a glance at Izuku as they passed each other. He was able to feel a strong force resonating from the boy which far outmatched all of his other classmates.

Frowning, he took a spot by his classmates and crossed his arms. Izuku had an uncertain look on his face as he stared at the ball in his hands. As soon as he moved to throw the ball, Zen was sense a sudden change in him, and noticed a surge of power flow through his arm. At the same time, he was also able to sense something different about Aizawa The ball then flew into the air, however it's momentum was short and only landed a few meters away. Izuku had a shocked look on his face as he stared into his shaking hands.

"No way... W-What just happened?" Izuku said with his voice shaking. He then turned over to notice Aizawa staring intently at him. His eyes were glowing red ,and his long messy hair was suddenly raised up. Suddenly the long strips of clothe around Aizawa's neck tangled around Izuku ,and suspended him in front of the teacher.

"You were planning on breaking your body again, weren't you?' Aizawa asked with a cold look on his face. Izuku couldn't answer as he was still trying to process what had just transpired. He then caught a glimpse at the pair of goggles around Aizawa's neck and came to a realization.

"Wait... those goggles and my quirk not working. You're the hero Eraserhead?" Izuku realized.

"Eraserhead? Who's that?" Jirou asked, uncertain of the name.

"He's a pro hero with the ability to cancel quirks. I hear he mostly works solo and usually stays under the radar," Momo explained.

"The power to negate quirks. That's pretty dangerous, I see that my hunch about him was right," Zen said.

"You can't become a hero if you get yourself hurt every time you use your power. If you are knocked out, you can't just expect people to come to rescue. As long as you can't control it, you'll end up putting yourself and others at risk each time you take to the field," Aizawa said narrowing his gaze at Izuku. Izuku had a conflicted and sorrowful look on his face as he was released from his bindings.

Aizawa's eyes blinked and returned to normal as he said, "I've returned your useless quirk. Hurry up and take your last turn".

Izuku slowly walked back on to the plate with sad expression covering his face. He tightly gripped the ball and appeared to be in deep thought. Zen carefully watched the boy as he was dealing with his inner struggles. After several seconds, he tightly shut his eyes and moved to throw the ball.

"(I don't sense the power he tried to use before. Is he giving up)" Zen thought as he could not detect anything from Izuku. His eyes then widened as suddenly he saw a cloudy silhouette behind the boy. It was too dark and blurred to make out it's features, but its movements mimicked those of Izuku's. Although he couldn't tell what it was, somehow the mere sight of it completely caught Zen off-guard. As soon as he blinked, the figure disappeared as if it had never been there to begin with. At the exact same time, Zen felt a sudden power spike from Izuku as the ball exploded through the air from his hand. Everyone watched in astonishment as the ball landed a great distance away. Aizawa had surprised look on his face as he saw the number 705.3 recorded on his phone.

"Mr. Aizawa..." Izuku said with a hint of pain in voice. Aizawa looked over to see the boy tightly clenching his fist. He had two broken fingers, but what really surprised him was the determined smile that he held.

"I didn't break this time. I can still keep going!" He yelled out with vigor. Aizawa smiled at the boy with an unbelievable look on his face.

"This kid!" He exclaimed as he genuinely felt both shocked and impressed by the boy's drive. Zen on the other suddenly felt a wave of shock pass through him. Once more he was able to see a dark silhouette behind Izuku, except this time the figure was slightly more visible. He was able to make out the shape of a slightly tall and muscular figure with spiked hair. It's face had a large smile which matched Izuku's perfectly although it was the only feature that could be seen on it's face. He suddenly felt his heart start to race at an alarming rate. He started to sweat slightly but could not find the reason for this. He rubbed his eyes quickly, but once he reopened them, the figure once again disappeared.

"(W-What was that?)" he thought as he started breathing harder. He was suddenly shaken from his thoughts once he saw Bakugo bolt towards Izuku with an intense rage in eyes.

"You bastard!" Bakugo roared out as dashed towards Izuku, who was too shocked to move. Zen prepared to stop Bakugo by sending a shockwave, but stopped once he saw Aizawa making a move from the corner of his eye. Just before Bakugo reached Izuku, he was suddenly restrained by Aizawa's clothe.

"Bakugo! Control yourself!" Aizawa ordered as he activated his quirk. Bakugo refused to listen as he continue to struggle fiercely to try and reach Izuku.

"All this time you had this power! So you've been trying to trick me for years?!" He shouted against his restraints.

"N-No! It's not like that-" Before he could explain any further Bakugo tried to force himself to get closer. As he did, Aizawa pulled him back and forced him away. Slowly calming down, he began to walk away.

"You remember this Deku! I don't care what power you have, I'll show you just how much better I am than you!" he yelled out as he walked away, leaving a shocked Izuku to think about what was to come.

Later after finishing the remaining tests, Aizawa put the scores on a board for everyone to see. In order from first to last it was Zen Takeda, Momo Yaoyorozu, Shoto Todoroki, Katsuki Bakugo, Tenya Iida, Fumikage Tokoyami, Mezo Shoji, Mashirao Ojiro, Eijiro Kirishima, Mina Ashido, Ochaco Uraraka, Koji Koda, Rikido Sato, Tsuyu Asui, Yuga Aoyama, Hanta Sero, Denki Kaminari, Kyoka Jiro, Toru Hagakure, Minoru Mineta, Izuku Midoriya. Izuku had a fearful look on his face as he fell down to his knees. Just as he was about to give up, he got a surprise from Aizawa. He announced that no one was going to be expelled which caused everyone to sigh out in relief.

"Alright, everyone rest up. From today on, you're real challenge starts. I hope you're all ready for what you've signed up for," he said casually as he left. Soon everyone began to leave except for Zen, who was still in deep thought.

"(I still can't figure out what that was... Somehow it felt so familiar...)" he pondered with a serious expression on his face.

"Takeda? Is something the matter? It's time to go," Momo said, slightly concerned about the look on her classmate. He shook his head to put away his thoughts once he realized what time it was.

"Oh sorry. No, it's nothing," he coldly replied as he prepared to leave. As he walked, he couldn't help but keep thinking back on the shadow he saw. The image of it behind Midoriya with it's determined smile was burned deeply into Zen's head.

"Izuku Midoriya... Just who are you?"

 **Phew! And that is that. Took me a while to figure out how I want to proceed with this story but now I've got it figured out. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you in the next Promises of a Hero! EpicZL signing off!**


	3. The Battle Trial

**Hey guys, EpicZL here for another chapter! I really appreciate all you guys who wanted me to continue this story as well as all the constructive advice you guys left for me. That really helps me out a lot and I'm really thankful for it. Now back to business, I hope you enjoy this next chapter!**

Chapter 3: The Battle Trial

The next couple days at U.A proved to be unlike what many student's had imagined. Despite the school's vast reputation as the top school for heroes, most of their day consisted of normal classes such as English and History much like any other school. By this point everyone had become accustomed to the way things worked around there. The class 1-A students were currently in their Heroics class where it supposed to be their first time in that class. Zen was quietly sitting in his seat while letting out a low yawn. Everyone was waiting for class to begin, however there was no teacher to be found.

"What's taking so long? We've been here for a while now," Zen asked tiredly.

"I'm not sure. This is the first time we've had to go to this class. I wonder who our teacher is supposed to be," Momo said, checking the time. As everyone waited patiently for their teacher, they were all completely caught off guard when the door was charged through by a lightning fast figure. It was All Might who was wearing a different hero suit than usual

"Good morning everybody!" All Might exclaimed cheerfully as he flew to the front of class much to everyone's amazement and shock.

"W-Whoah! All Might, you're our heroics teacher?!" Izuku asked happily as he looked at the man with fanboy eyes.

"That's right, Young Midoriya! I've decided close my agency, and devote more time teaching the young heroes of tomorrow!" The blond man said while making a pose.

"(So this is All Might in person. I can practically feel his power resonating from him. I wonder just what is the distance between us right now...)" Zen thought as he stared intently at the teacher. This did not go unnoticed by All Might, who also took time to analyze the boy.

"(So that's him. I can tell he's strong but he certainly didn't take after your personality, sir. I wonder what he's been through all this time)" All Might thought to himself as he began to feel a wave of guilt and sadness pass through him.

"Well anyway class, I'm sure you're wondering why I'm dressed in my old costume. Well today, you all have another test to handle", All Might explained as everyone gasped.

"Another test? Didn't we just have one with Mr. Aizawa?" Mina asked as she slumped down.

"Indeed! Aizawa tested you all on your quirks capabilities, but now the time has come for you all to experience what it's like in real combat! Even better is that you will be doing it in your hero costumes which have all been completed!" He yelled out cheerfully as he pointed at the class.

"Actual combat? Things are finally getting exciting!" Bakugo grinned as he cracked his knuckles together.

"I'll explain all the details later. First go and get your hero costumes then meet outside. All right! Let's go everybody!" All Might exclaimed as he bolted out the door and down the hall, creating a large gust of wind and dust that blew everyone to the back of their seats.

"Well... at least I know he's fast now..." Zen said, slightly annoyed as he tried to fix his spiky hair which had been blown back from the force.

O-O

After receiving a package from the support corps, Zen went into the changing room provided for them. He opened up the package to pull out the suit his sister had designed. Quickly changing, he took a close look at himself in the mirror. He wore a black skin-tight short-sleeved shirt that went up to his neck. On top of that he had a short white collared vest that stopped above his waist. It had two light blue vertical stripes which went to his shoulders. It was left open to show off the Zen's muscular stomach and chest through his black shirt. He also had black pants with a white and light blue belt holding it. His shoes were white with a thin metallic bottom. On his hands were black gloves with white stripes going across them. On his face was a pair of sharp sunglasses with a white trim.

"Hm, not bad. I guess I owe you an apology, sis," Zen said to himself as made various movements to see how well the suit fit. He found it to be breathable and very easy to move in with little restrictions to his movements. After he was done, he walked outside along his other classmates, who were already suited up in their various costumes. All Might waited for them outside with his usual trademark smile.

"Hmm, very nice! The first part of being a hero is looking good! With this, you're all ready to get started!" He said giving them a thumbs up. The last one to come out was Izuku, who was panically running since he was late. Once he made it out, All Might couldn't help but cringe a bit at his costume. Everyone could see that it bared a stunning resemblance to a certain hero.

"Damn it, Young Midoriya! It's so obvious!" All Might mumbled quietly to himself with a hint of embarrassment on his face.

Recomposing himself, All Might turned his attention back to his class. "Ahem, now that you are all suited up, let's head to the sight of your trial" All Might announced.

O-O

Later after several minutes of walking, Class 1-A reached one of the large city area that was used for the entrance exams. It was just as large as the one Zen had been in and it felt odd that despite it's massive scale, there was not a single person besides them residing there.

"Hey isn't this the place where the entrance exams were at?" Kaminari asked, looking around the area.

"Exactly Young Kaminari! This is where you'll be testing out your combat abilities, however this time you won't be fighting against mere robots, but each other!" All Might said. Most of the class gasped while others like Bakugo grinned in excitement. All Might pulled out a small box with an opening. He then had everyone draw lots to determine their team. Zen ended up pulling out the letter C. After looking around for a few seconds, Zen felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to see Momo in her fairly revealing costume.

"You're C right? It looks like we'll be partners then," She said holding up her lot.

"Ah no fair! Hey Takeda, how about switching with me?" Mineta offered with a perverted grin on his face before being kicked away by Momo in annoyance, and then was dragged away by Tsuyu who pulled him away with her tongue.

"Well at least it's someone reliable" Zen shrugged as the two stood next to each other in preparation for their instructions. Soon everyone paired up with their respective partners, and waited in anticipation for the details of their test.

"Now that everyone has their partners, I'll explain how this is going to work. Now as you know, most battles against villains take place in urban areas like this city. The worst ones, however often take place indoors. Each match will be between two teams. One will be the heroes and the other the villains. The heroes will be trying to reach and secure a dangerous weapon which will be defended by the villain team. The heroes must figure out the location of the weapon while the villains will have a layout of the area. There are two ways to win this. The heroes can either touch the weapon or capture the villains before the time limit. The villains can win by protecting the weapon until times up, or by defeating and capturing the heroes. This should give you a taste of what these battles are like," All Might explained.

He then placed the slots back into the box and randomized the letters inside. He then place both hands inside and pulled out two letters.

"All right, the first match will be Team A against Team D! A will be the heroes while D will be the villains!" All Might announced as everyone looked the two teams. It would be Midoriya and Uraraka pitted against Bakugo and Iida. Bakugo grinnned maliciously at Izuku while he had an uncertain and nervouse look beneath his mask. Remembering the incident from the day before, Zen couldn't help but feel unease at the coming match.

"(Pitting these two against each other? This can't be good. At the very least, this should let me see what this Midoriya is capable of)" Zen thought.

"The match will begin in ten minutes. The heroes will wait outside while the villains get settled in," All Might ordered as he pointed to the building where their match would take place. Afterwards All Might led the remaining students into a large room filled with monitors where they would be able to view the match. Zen leaned against the back wall as he waited for time to be up. He had an uncertain feeling as he thought back to the events of a few days ago. The shadowy silhouette that appeared by Izuku filled him with uncertainty, as if he had seen it somewhere before. The figure's size, build, and posture all seemed so familiar to him. Most of all, it's smile was what stood out so much for him. It matched Izuku's completely and yet it also vaguely reminded him of someone else that he wasn't able to think of. After much thought, he opened his eyes once All Might announced for the match to begin. Watching the screen, he saw Izuku and Uraraka rush into the building. Soon after he saw Bakugo leave the room where the weapon was located to find the heroes. Remembering Bakugo's violent aggression towards Izuku during the Quirk Apprehension Test, Zen narrowed his eyes. Seeing his uncertainty, Kirishima went over to check on him.

"Hey Takeda, what's up? You have a pretty serious look on your face, even more than usual that is," Kirishima asked, slightly concerned about his classmate.

"That guy... I don't really understand why he got so angry back then, but what I do know is that his violent intentions towards Midoriya are very much real. If he's not careful, Bakugo could potentially kill him," Zen said cautiously.

"I mean I know that Bakugo is a pretty angry guy, but he wouldn't go that far, would he? Kirishima asked, somewhat skeptical.

"Who knows... I guess we're about about to find out," Zen said, turning his attention back to the screen. Izuku and Uraraka had just encountered Bakugo, who began to launch a fierce offensive against the duo. In the midst of the battle, Bakugo was able to land an explosion right to Izuku's face which ended up destroying his mask. After a brief skirmish Izuku and Uraraka fell back and hid from Bakugo.

"(Bakugo's quirk has some good power. Midoriya should be able to defeat him with his own quirk but if it works the way I think it does then this could be tricky...)" Zen thought as he remembered back to the condition of Izuku's fingers after he used his power to throw the ball.

"Come on Deku!" Bakugo roared, whose malice in his voice could clearly be heard by the spectators in the room. He continued to place pressure on the two heroes, as they constantly had to fall back. Eventually they were cornered by Bakugo in a long corridor. Bakugo wasted no time as he quickly moved to attack the pair. Raising his right arm, he prepared for an explosive right hook. Seeing this Izuku suddenly felt a wave of confidence pass through him which did not go unnoticed by All Might and Zen.

As if he had completely anticipated the attack, Izuku quickly grabbed Bakugo's arm, completely catching him off guard.

"Wha-" Bakugo didn't have any time to finish before he felt his world being flipped over. Using all of his strength, Izuku slammed Bakugo onto the ground. Seeing her chance, Uraraka ran towards the stairs to try and find the target. Bakugo had a look of disbelief on his face as he slowly got back up. He saw Izuku getting into a fighting stance with a determined look on his face.

"I'm not the same weak kid that I used to be. I'm not the weak old Deku who's afraid of you anymore. Deku is the name of hero!" Izuku shouted with a fiery look in his eyes. Back at the surveillance room, Zen could see the look of anticipation on All Might.

"He's got guts at least, but that's not going to be enough," Zen calmly said. Soon Bakugo felt a massive wave of rage pass through him which did not go unnoticed by the other students. Sensing the violent intent from Bakugo, Izuku's body instantly began to tremble and shake.

"Hehe... Are you joking? Just look at you shake like the coward you are. It doesn't matter whether you have a quirk or not, you still nothing but a pebble before me!" He shouted as charged towards the boy. Izuku saw an opening in Bakugo's attack, leading him to close in as he pulled a white object from his pocket. Izuku quickly tried to tie the capture tape around Bakugo's arm, but Bakugo quickly pulled away and narrowly avoided being eliminated. Using that brief opening with the distance between the two, Izuku fled from the corridor. Infuriated by his opponent, Bakugo quickly chased after the boy, unknowingly falling right for Izuku's plan.

"So his plan is to lure Bakugo away, while Uraraka heads for Iida. A clever strategy," Momo said, rubbing her chin. Zen shook his head.

"No, this plan is going to fail unless he does something fast," Zen said as he watched the screen.

Momo gave him a questioning look and asked, "How are you so certain?"

"The problem is the the poor matchup. Iida's speed will make it virtually impossible for Uraraka to reach the weapon on her own. Midoriya's quirk could definitely allow him to give them a chance, but it's unstable and not only that, he still is trying to keep Bakugo away, so he can't afford to get close. The difference in skill and power is too apparent. If things continue the way they are now, there's no chance of them winning", Zen stated calmly. As the match continued on, things went exactly as Zen foresaw. Uraraka proved unable to slip past Iida, who was diligently guarding the weapon, albeit in a somewhat ridiculous manner as he tried to take on the role of the villain. Izuku was unable to assist her as he had to focus on leading Bakugo away. After managing to elude Bakugo for several minutes, Izuku was finally found by his pursuer.

Izuku had no time to run, as Bakugo pointed his gauntlet at the boy. Seeing this All Might instantly became serious and panicked.

"Bakugo don't do it! You'll kill him!" All Might ordered, as his grip on the microphone tightened.

"Heh. Don't worry, he'll be fine. I'm just going to rough him up a little, that's all" Bakugo grinned as he grabbed and pulled the pin on his gauntlet. In that moment a massive blast ignited from his gauntlet which was shot directly towards Izuku. In an instant the blast destroyed the entire portion of the building with shockwaves being felt by Uraraka and Iida who were several floors above them. After the dust cleared, the entire corridor they resided in was completely charred and destroyed. Izuku miraculously had no injuries, as he had barely been able to dodge in time.

"Man talk about a close one. That could've killed him," Kirishima said, letting out a sigh of relief.

"That's just reckless. A blast like that could've been fatal to not just Midoriya but also to the others had it damaged the structure too much," Momo stated. All Might nodded in agreement as he picked up the microphone.

"Bakugo, that was far too reckless. If you use another blast like that, then your team will automatically disqualified. Am I clear?" All Might warned.

"Tch, fine. I guess I'll just have to do this close and personal then!" Bakugo said as he rushed towards Izuku, who had just recovered from the shock of the blast. Bakugo jumped into the air and propelled himself towards Izuku with his explosions. The green haired boy attempted to punch him, but missed once Bakugo used an explosion to change his trajectory to move over him. Once he was successfully behind Izuku, Bakugo launch a close range blast to his back to which knocked him down. Before he could reach the ground, Izuku felt his arm being grabbed by Bakugo, who proceeded to use his free hand to build momentum. Bakugo then slammed Izuku onto the ground, causing him to groan out in pain. As the fight continued on, Izuku was completely dominated by Bakugo in their close combat battle. Everyone in the surveillance room was completely horrified by Bakugo's brutal beating of Izuku.

"This is horrible. I can't bear to watch," Ashido said, closing her eyes.

"All Might, shouldn't you stop the match? At this rate Midoriya is seriously going get hurt," Tsuyu pleaded. All Might had a conflicted look on his face as his hands began to shake around the microphone. Zen meanwhile could only frown at the screen as he continued to watch Bakugo overwhelm Izuku.

"(What a sick bastard. He really is like a villain)" Zen thought. In his mind he could see the burning image of his mother being stabbed by that cloaked man. Although he knew that man's methods were far more brutal, he still couldn't help but reminded of it by Bakugo's violent showing. Sighing, Zen closed his eyes and leaned back. He knew the difference in skill was apparent, but even so he couldn't help but feel sympathy for the boy. Once he opened his eyes, he was surpised to see Izuku slowly standing back up with not a hint of hesitation in his eyes.

"Heh, are you finally going to take this seriously? Come on then, I'll show everyone just how much better I am than you by beating you here even with you using your quirk!" Bakugo said as he raised his arm to attack Izuku. Izuku tightened his fist and also began to run towards Bakugo. His arm began to glow as he drew closer to his former friend. Just before the two clashed, Zen noticed something at the last second with Izuku's posture.

"He's not going for Bakugo? Don't tell me..." Just as Zen realized Izuku's plan, the two met each other, however only Bakugo's attack landed on his opponent. Izuku used all of is power to launch an uppercut not at Bakugo, but towards the ceiling. The sheer force created from the attack, completely split through the ceiling and continued all the way towards the floor where Uraraka and Iida were. Both were completely caught off guard as suddenly the floor beneath them split in two with debris flying all around them.

Seeing her chance, Uraraka grabbed a long piece of debris by lightening it with her gravity quirk. She then used it to hit smaller pieces of debris towards Iida, who was still shocked by the sudden change in situation. While he was busy evading the debris, Uraraka took the chance to float towards the weapon. By the time Iida noticed what was happening, Uraraka touched the weapon, effectively stopping the timer.

Back on the ground with Izuku and Bakugo, Izuku's arm was completely busted not only from the power of his quirk, but also from taking Bakugo's blast head on. He then fell unconscious while Bakugo's eyes were wide with disbelief.

"T-The heroes win!" All Might announced while sweating. Everyone then rushed out the surveillance room to the building where the match had taken place. After everything was settled, the class still couldn't believe the way the battle had turned out. The building had been completely destroyed and virtually split in two from the power of Izuku's quirk. After evaluating the match, Momo stated Iida to be the best participant due to his devotion to his role as well as due to the heroes being too injured despite winning as well as Bakugo's excessively violent performance. While All Might was comforting Bakugo who was still in shock, Zen stood over an unconscious Izuku, who was lying on a stretcher. He took a close look at his arm which was both burned and broken. He then took a look at his own hand as he remembered the time he first awakening his quirk.

( _Flashback)_

 _"It hurts... It hurts so much" a young Zen cried out in pain as his face was overflowing with tears. He was being comforted by his teacher, who was a young lady around his mother's age. They were currently in the teacher's office as they awaited for his parent's arrival. The reason for his suffering lied in his right arm, which was broken from an unknown force that suddenly appeared in the middle of class._

 _"Hold on Takeda. They'll be here soon. Please try and endure it a little bit longer," She said calmly as she held tightly on to his other hand. Soon the door burst open with his worried parents on the other side._

 _"Zen! What happened?!" His mother panicked as she ran over to hug him._

 _"Your arm... What caused this?" His father asked as he delicately ran his hand over it, causing Zen to wince in pain._

 _"I believe your son acquired his quirk today, but I'm not sure how his arm got so injured," the teacher said worriedly._

 _"Don't worry Zen. It'll all be better soon. Just hold still alright?" His father said calmly to comfort his son. Zen slowly nodded through his teary face. He tried his best to raise his arm which was radiating with a magnitude of pain that he had never felt before. His father then slowly grabbed on to his arm. His hands then began to glow a bright blue color which lit up the entire office. Zen could feel his pain slowly go away, as the discoloration in his arm disappeared, and other broken bones slowly returned to their original position. In a matter of seconds, Zen felt as if nothing had happened to his arm in the first place._

 _"What? My arm... it doesn't hurt anymore," Zen said shocked, as he wiped away all of his remaining tears. His mother then held him close and let out a long sigh._

 _"Zen, can you tell us what happened?" she asked as she put her hands on his shoulders. He nervously nodded as he began to recall what had happened several minutes earlier._

 _"Well, I just had a weird feeling throughout my body. I've never felt anything like it before and it made me tingly and shake. Next thing I knew my arm started glowing. I thought it was really cool for a bit, but then I heard my bones cracking and everything started to hurt really badly," Zen said shuddering, as he remembered the pain that had come from his experience. His mother comfortingly stroked the top of his head as let out a small smile._

 _"I thought as much. Sounds like that time with your sister," she said, recalling a similar incident with her elder child._

 _"Yes, but it wasn't this bad with hers," her husband replied._

 _"Well that's because her's wasn't as strong. She got a bit of both of us, so her wounds were pretty minor. But it looks like Zen might have fully inherited my side," the red haired woman said as she looked down at her son, who had a confused look on his face._

 _"Wait, what do you mean? What is this thing, and does sis have the same thing?" the boy asked innocently._

 _"What you have is a Quirk. Your sister has something similar but her's is slightly different. You have a quirk that's just like mine," she explained as she raised her hand in front of him. Her hand then glowed white and Zen could feel an invisible force pushing against him. It wasn't very strong, but it was prominent enough for him to feel the pressure from it._

 _"This is what a Quirk is like? I've heard about it all the time with heroes on TV, but I never knew this is what it felt like..." Zen said as he looked down at his now recovered arm._

 _"It's good that he got his quirk, but the problem is that it's too unstable. He'll end up hurting himself again at this rate," His father said as he rubbed the side of his head._

 _"I would teach him myself like with Hina, but I don't think I can teach him to control it well enough since he obtained the full quirk from my side," she said with a frown._

 _"I guess that means there's only one person who can teach him," his father said, sighing. Realizing who he meant, she let out a small laugh. Zen, unsure of who his parents were talking about, tugged on his mothers sleeve._

 _"Zen you always wanted to become a hero, right?" His mother asked. Zen's eyes lit up at the mention of heroes, as it always did._

 _"Well, I think this is a good chance for you to see a bit of what it's really like. I bet you didn't know that you are related to a hero, now did you?" His mother asked. Hearing this, Zen's eyes widened in shock and amazement._

 _"Really?! Who is it? What's their quirk? How come I've never met them before?!" As Zen kept frantically asking question after question, his mother let out an amused chuckle as she poked her child's forehead._

 _"You've only met him when you were just a little baby, so you probably don't remember. He's a pretty amazing hero, and a busy one at that so he doesn't come by often. He's actually your grandfather and he taught me how to control my quirk when I was your age since I had the same quirk as him just as you do. Being a hero was never really my thing, so I only had him teach me to control it without hurting myself, but I'm sure he'll be able to teach you so much more," she explained with a bright smile._

 _"Really?! What's his name?" Zen asked with bright optimism._

 _"His hero name is Full_ _Tremor"_

 _(End Flashback)_

Putting his hand down, he shook his head and let out a sigh. He motioned to the medical staff who were prepared to bring Izuku to Recovery Girl, "Take care of him, alright?". They quickly nodded before lifting his stretcher and rushing for the nurse's office. Once they were out of sight, Zen headed back towards the surveillance room to view the next match. In the this round, it was Team B, consisting of the heroes Shoto Todoroki and Mezo Shoji, against Team I, consisting of the villains Mashirao Ojiro and Toru Hagakure.

Mere seconds into the match, the outcome became apparently clear. Shoto quickly froze the entire building with ice powers and effectively trapped both his opponents, rendering them unable to fight. Ojiro realizing the futility of fighting back, gave up and allowed Shoto to touch the weapon, effectively ending the match. Zen looked over to Bakugo, who seemed like a broken man as he stared blankly at the screen.

"(Well at least, this should show him that there are plenty of strong people out there. Hopefully he'll realize he's just a drop in the bucket compared to everyone out there)" Zen thought. After the match ended All Might proceeded to draw the next match. This time he drew the letters C and E. Zen and Momo were selected as the heroes while Team E, consisting of Kirishima and Sero, were picked as the villains. Later on, Zen and Momo waited outside of the building where their match was going to take place while Kirishima and Sero got set up inside. Zen was calmly leaned against the wall awaiting for the battle to begin while Momo was carefully studying the building.

"Our opponents are Kirishima with his hardening quirk, and Sero with his tape... this could be tricky especially since they'll have the advantage in a close space. We should think of a plan to counter them," Momo suggested.

"What did you have in mind?" Zen asked

"I'm not sure. I'm trying to figure out what objects I can create to help us in this situation," Momo said, closing her eyes and trying to focus. While she was still thinking, the buzzer went off, signaling their time to begin.

"All right, I think first we should figure out what floor they're on. If we-" Momo was cut off when Zen walked past her and stood in front of the entrance to the building. Putting his hand on the wall, he then tapped his foot on the ground, with the metal on his shoe creating a light clinging sound. In his head, he was able to hear several footsteps reverberating lightly. Opening his eyes, he began to walk forward again.

"They are on the eighth floor in the third room to the right," he stated as he continued to walk ahead of Momo.

"Wait, you deduced their location, already? Is that another ability of yours?" she asked as she quickly tried to catch up to him.

"Yeah, I can lock on to the location of others by the sound and waves of their footsteps. As long as there aren't too many people in the same area, I can pretty accurately map out an area," he stated calmly.

"That's pretty interesting, but we still can't just walk up to them though without a plan, especially since your quirk is handicapped in here," she said, slightly worried.

"What makes you say I'm handicapped in here?" he asked, confused.

"Well, it's true your quirk is pretty powerful, it can also be pretty destructive and has a large range from what I've seen. We don't want to cause mass destruction to the building like Midoriya did," she said.

"Hmph, that would make sense, however I wouldn't worry about that. A good hero can use his quirk in more ways than one. Trust me, I'll be fine," he said fairly confidently as they reached the stairs. Soon with Zen's tracking, they quickly found the room where the weapon was located at the end of the hall. Just before they reached there Momo had something that she had been wanting to know from Zen.

"Hey Takeda, can I ask you something?" she asked.

"What is it? We'll be running into them soon, so make it quick," he said as began to walk slowly towards the door.

"It's been bothering me for a while now, but a few days ago you never answered me. What is it that you want to become a hero for?" she asked nervously as she saw Zen reach for the door handle.

"Oh that, like I said, it's nothing important or grand," he stated as he opened the door. Once inside, they saw the weapon completely blocked off from they by a perimeter of tape. Neither Kirishima nor Sero were anywhere to be found.

"(They are staying completely still somewhere so I can't track them... No doubt to ambush us)" Zen thought as he and Momo carefully approached the weapon. As they neared the weapon, Zen sensed a new movement right at the last second. Realizing where it was coming from, he wasted no time in delivering a punch in the direction he felt it. Once he turned around, he saw Kirishima jumping down towards an oblivious Momo. Just before he reached her, Zen delivered a powerful right hook to Kirishima's face, knocking him through a wall from the force of the punch.

"W-Where did he come from?" Momo said, shaken by the appearance of her assailant.

Getting up from the debris of the broken wall, Kirishima began rubbing his cheek which stung from pain.

"O-Ow, man that hurt. How the hell did you manage to hurt me with just a punch through my hardening?" He asked as he glared at Zen.

"Hm, so that's why your face felt harder than I thought. Also there's no point in hiding Sero, I already know you're there," Zen said.

Sero who was hiding in the darkness was surprised by Zen's sudden proclamation. To test the waters, he fired off two rounds of tape towards Zen from behind. Sensing the attack, Zen skillfully stepped to the side, causing the tape to hit the wall. Seeing that Zen had already seen his location and attack coming, Sero decided to come out of hiding and prepared to fight from behind his tape perimeter. With Kirishima behind them, and Sero in front of them, Zen prepared to fight Kirishima.

"Yaoyorozu, you handle Sero and the weapon. I'll deal with Kirishima," he ordered as he took a fighting stance. Momo nodded and formed a sword from her body to defend herself. As she raced towards Sero, Zen turned his attention back to Kirishima, who had an excited look on his face.

"Man, I've been wanting to see just how strong you really are. Come on!" Kirishima roared as jumped towards Zen. Hardening his entire body, he began to launch a barrage of swift attacks. Zen was able to see each attack coming and effortlessly dodged them. Seeing his opening, he delivered an uppercut to Kirishima's side. Although his quirk minimized the damage, Kirishima was still reeling from the force of his punch. Zen then went on to turn the tide of fight by launching a barrage of punches against Kirishima, who was unable to keep up with his opponents speed and power. Zen then delivered another powerful punch towards to Kirishima's face, knocking him back several meters on to his back.

His breathing was heavy and rough and as he tried to stand back up. His body was wracking with the pain from Zen's blows.

"I can't believe you hit this hard even without using your quirk... I guess I'm lucky you can't use it in this space" Kirishima breathed out as he regained his balance.

"Who said I can't use my quirk here?"

"Wha-" Kirishima was cut off by the sight of Zen suddenly being in front of him. He looked down to see Zen's fingers glowing with small white bubble around each one. In an instant, Zen stuck him with his fingers in a five pointed attack.

 **"Five Point Thrust"**

The force of the shockwaves produced completely passed through Kirishima's body and created five small cracks through the ceiling.

"I was just testing how tough your hardening was," Zen stated as Kirishima fell down unconscious. He then knelt down a tied the capture tape around Kirishima's arm. Afterwards he looked over to see how Momo was faring. At the moment she was trying to cut her way through Sero's perimeter of tape while at the same time trying to avoid the constant barrage of tape.

"He can't keep this up much longer, if I can hold out for just a bit, he'll wear himself out," Momo muttered as she cut through strip after strip. Soon she felt something wrap around her leg. Her eyes widened as she felt herself being pulled to the ground. Dropping her sword, she found both her arms and legs bound by his tape.

"Sorry Yaoyorozu. No hard feelings, right?" Sero asked through his helmet.

"You're pretty good with that tape," Zen said as he walked closer to the two.

Sero aimed at Zen while being extremely wary of his movements. He saw Kirishima lying on the ground, unconscious and instantly got nervous

"(He took out Kirishima already? This is bad... I'm almost at my limit. I can't afford to miss my next shot)" Sero thought nervously. He tried to maintain his composure as he carefully aimed towards Zen, who remained unfazed. The two stared each other down for several seconds before Sero took the first shot. Just before his tape reached Zen, Zen delivered a swift punch charged with a shockwave. Unlike previous times ,however the shockwave formed was condensed into a narrow wave rather a large, spread out one. The wave was effortless blew through the both tape that was fired at him as well as the perimeter Sero had set to protect himself. Before Sero could react, he felt an overwhelming force strike his abdomen. The wave completely passed through his body and continued to the wall behind him. It broke through the wall as if it were paper, leaving a hole the shape of a fist. Sero suddenly was unable to feel anything as he fell to the ground with a thud.

Once Zen made sure he was out cold, he grabbed the sword Momo dropped and cut her free. Afterwards he tied the capture tape around Sero and touched the weapon which caused the buzzer to sound off, ending the match.

"Wow, I didn't know you were able to do all of that. I'm sorry I wasn't much help," Momo said, slightly disappointed.

"Don't worry about it. And about that question you asked me before about my goal..." Momo turned to face him with a questioning look.

"My only goal here is become stronger. That's my only desire," He said seriously while readjusting his sunglasses.

"Isn't that why everyone is here though? Everyone is here to become stronger to become heroes right?" Momo replied, slightly confused.

"Heh, maybe you're right..." He said calmly. In that moment, Momo was sure that she saw his eyes darken a little beneath his sunglasses. She set aside the thought after believing she was over thinking, but she still couldn't help but remember the look he had on his face. After evaluating their match, and taking Kirishima and Sero to the nurses office, All Might went to survey the building where the match had taken place. He stared intently at the craters in the wall and ceiling that Zen created.

"Concentrated shockwaves and exemplary senses. He's no doubt, your grandson, sir. I'd even say he's surpassed you at this point," All Might said solemnly as he ran his hand through the hole in the wall.

"Although he's exceptionally talented, I can see the burden he carries. If I had only made it in time that day..." All Might mumbled to himself as he grit his teeth and tightened his fist in anger and regret.

O-O

Soon afterwards, the remaining matches flew by in a flash with minimal injuries. Once everything had been settled, All Might left to check on Izuku, who had sustained the greatest injuries during the test. By then the school day had ended, and everyone was preparing to head home. As Zen left the front entrance, he saw Izuku together with an irritated looking Bakugo. He also noticed tears beginning to flow down his face.

"Just you wait, Deku. I'll become stronger than you, Takeda, Todoroki, and even All Might!" Bakugo exclaimed while wiping away his tears. As he began to leave, Zen saw something flash by him with incredible speed to catch up to Bakugo. It was All Might who tried to comfort Bakugo, however the blond hero was turned away by Bakugo who declared that he would surpass him much to All Might's surprise. After watching the scene, Zen began to leave as well.

"Oh, Young Takeda! I see you're heading home. Take care out there, all right!" All Might said, giving him a thumbs up.

"Right," Zen said nonchalantly as he walked past the man. As he walked past Izuku, he took note of his cast and bruises before stopping.

"Midoriya... Take care of yourself, alright," Zen said without looking back at the boy.

"U-Um, yeah... Ok..." Izuku replied, unsure of what had brought that on. Zen then began to leave, leaving behind a dumbfounded Izuku and All Might. Izuku wasn't sure why, but for some reason he got a strange feel from Zen.

"(Takeda... why do I feel like we're connected somehow?)" Izuku thought as he couldn't shake the unfamiliar feeling away. All Might looked on at Izuku's confusion and was able sense what he was feeling.

"(These two... I wonder how their paths with cross...)"

O-O

Unbeknownst to the heroes and students at U.A., there was a dark cloud brewing at a dimly lit bar downtown. Inside sat three figures, who would stand out anywhere. One young man in particular, had the darkest intentions of all. Setting his glass on top of a news paper with All Might's picture on it, a sinister smile formed on his pale and wrinkled face.

"What a joke. All Might has become a teacher at U.A, huh? I wonder... what would happen if this world's Symbol of Peace... was defeated by the villains? I can't wait to find out!"

 **Phew, and that is that guys. A bit of a longer chapter but I'm sure you guys won't mind. Up next is one of my personal favorite parts of MHA and I would love to start on it right away if not for all my exams and projects, but fear not! As soon as I'm done, I'll be sure to get it out as soon as I can. Until then, please be patient and I'll see you guys then. EpicZL signing off**


	4. Clash at the USJ

**Hey guys, EpicZL here. Sorry for the delay. I've been super busy with finals, as well as updating my other story, but hey we made it. So guys, sit back and enjoy the chapter.**

Chapter 4: Clash at the U.S.J

"Answer the question, sir!"

"Not interested"

What was once an ordinary and quiet morning for the students of U.A, quickly became loud and chaotic with the arrival of massive mob of reporters and news stations. Almost every student ended up being bombarded by an array of questions related to All Might's new job as an instructor. One of them was Zen, who quickly was starting to become irritated by the endless amounts of reporters and cameras that were obstructing his path to the front door.

"What is it like to have All Might as a teacher? How is he inspiring his students? How do you feel he is doing his job?" one reporter asked in a fast paced tone.

"Like I said, I'm not interested in answering any questions. Go bother someone else," Zen replied, beginning to lose his patience. Not satisfied with his answer, the reporters continued to pester the quake user until he saw the front gate. Using his quirk, he dashed towards the front gate in one leap, leaving a crack in the sidewalk where he once was. Once he passed through the U.A Barrier, he knew they couldn't go through unless they were a student or teacher there. Seeing the massive group of reporters crowding the front entrance, he let out an annoyed sigh as he made his way into the building.

"Annoying bunch, aren't they?" Aizawa, who stood at the front entrance together with Present Mic, asked.

"Yeah, you deal with them, Mr. Aizawa. It's too early for me to deal with this," Zen said, in an slightly irritated tone as he walked inside. Aizawa let out a deep breath as he and Present Mic headed over to deal with the reporters.

Later, just before class was about to start, everyone was talking amongst themselves about all the commotion going on outside. Zen was rubbing his eyes tiredly as he awaited for class to begin.

"You seem tired today," Momo noted.

"Just a little. I might have pushed myself a bit too hard yesterday with training," Zen said, stretching his arms.

"Oh? Good to see that you're working so hard," she replied.

"It's just a bit of practice each day. It's nothing all that impressive," Zen replied.

"Oh that's right, I wanted to ask you abou-" Just before she could finish her sentence, Aizawa came into the room with his usual tired expression. After getting all the introductions out of the way, he announced that they would be needing to choose a class representative, to which nearly everybody began volunteering themselves.

"I don't care how you pick it, just decide it quickly already," Aizawa said before retreating into his sleeping bag on the ground. Afterwards Iida suggested they vote by writing down who they wanted to be the representative and tallying the results. Looking down at his paper, Zen was unsure of who to choose. He had no desire to be the representative himself, so he looked around at the others, who were still choosing their pick. Making his decision, he wrote down the name of the person, he felt was most qualified for the position and passed it forward. After the results were tallied, the one who ended up with the most votes was Izuku, much to Bakugo's anger, and Momo as the vice representative. Seeing that they were finished, Aizawa slipped out of his sleeping bag and made a big announcement. First he spoke about the performances of the students during the Battle Trial, particularly about Izuku's injuries and Bakugo's recklessness.

"Now that that's out of the way, I have some important news to tell you. After seeing all of your performances at the Battle Trial the other day, I've decided to test you even further. Tomorrow we will be testing your performance in rescue operations. We will be taking a field trip to the Unforeseen Simulation Joint Facility, or the USJ. You can wear whatever you want, including your hero costumes. Just be ready for it when it's time to go," Aizawa lazily announced. Hearing this, everyone quickly became excited for another chance to show off their abilities. While everyone else was in the middle of their conversations, Zen appeared to be struggling with something.

"Rescue, huh?" Zen said quietly to himself. The only ones who seemed to notice the sudden change in him were Shoto and Momo who were seated next to him. Before they could say anything, the bell sounded for lunchtime, knocking Zen back into reality.

Later during lunch while everyone was usually in the cafeteria during that time, Zen stood alone on the roof of the building. He preferred the more quiet and peaceful atmosphere as he leaned against the railing, feeling the cool breeze pass through him. Pulling out his bag filled with food, he laid out everything on the railing as he prepared to eat. Due to the cafeteria food not being to his tastes, he had been preparing his own lunch each day. He placed down a small bowl of golden fried rice filled with various vegetables and eggs, the exquisite smell immediately filling his nose and making his stomach growl. Beside it was an assortment of sliced apples and mangos as well as a bottle of iced tea. Just before he could put the spoonful of rice into his mouth, he felt a sudden wave of something sinister which nearly made him drop it. It was a feeling of pure evil that made his instincts immediately put him on alert.

"What the is this feeling? It's so... sinister," he said as he looked over the campus above. He looked down to see the crowd of reporters outside the fence, but he knew it wasn't from them. He then looked just a ways down from them, where he saw the cause of his worries. Due to the fence obscuring most of the person's face, he was only able to make out a few features. It was a skinny young man with messy light blue hair. Zen's eyes widened when noticed something happening to the fence in front of the man. The metal began to bend and crumble, almost appearing to liquidate in a way. Soon it completely decayed into a pile of rusted and destroyed metal on the ground, leaving a massive hole in the U.A Barrier. Unable to believe what he just witnessed, Zen turned his attention back to the man, but he was even more shocked to notice that he had disappeared. Soon the press noticed the giant hole and took advantage of it to infiltrate the school grounds. As soon as the first person entered, a massive alarm turned on and echoed throughout the whole area. Zen, however, did not even notice the alarm, as he was still trying to process what he had just seen.

"Who was that man? There's no way he was just some random reporter. That feeling I got from him, it was almost like..." Suddenly Zen's mind was filled with images of the man with the hat and trench coat. Grasping the part of his uniform that covered his scar, he shook his head.

"No... it's different. The one from before felt more dangerous, but this one... it felt so much more demented," Zen pondered, hoping that his instincts on the matter were wrong. As the day went on, Zen could not shake off the bad feelings he got from that man earlier. As he awaited for the day to end, he saw Izuku making an announcement. He decided to step down from his role as class representative and decided to leave the position to Iida, who graciously accepted. When Momo returned to her seat, Zen noticed she had a slightly tired look on her face.

"Urgh, why do I have to deal with this," she said putting her hand over her face. Zen let out a small smile at her reaction and for a moment, he was able to put aside his thoughts from the events earlier.

"Hey, it won't be all bad. At least now the class rep is someone who seems like they know what they're doing. You won't have to deal with as much now," Zen said, consoling her. She let out a sigh as she reluctantly agreed.

O-O

The next day, Class 1-A prepared to make their trip to the U.S.J. Zen put on his hero costume just like everyone else, right before they were set to go. Tightening his glove, he finished putting everything on aside from his sunglasses, which he rested on top of his head instead. Walking outside with the rest of his class, he saw Iida was frantically urging everyone to follow some kind of seating procedure, only to have his hopes dashed, once they saw how open the bus was. He took a seat by a window and closed his eyes as he waited to leave. After everyone took their seats, Zen noticed Todoroki sit next to him although the two refrained from speaking to each other. As the bus set off, he listened to Izuku and other's conversations without opening his eyes. Soon he became interested when the conversation turned to All Might.

"Now that I think about it, isn't your quirk a lot like All Might's?" Tsuyu asked to which Izuku suddenly turned nervous.

"W-What? No way, my quirk is nothing like his," Izuku said defensively.

"Yeah, it's true. All Might's quirk is strong but it doesn't hurt him like Midoriya's," Kirishima said.

"Although I do wish my quirk was more flashy like that," Kirishima said, hardening his arm.

"No way, it's really cool, I think it's plenty flashy and strong. That's more important than being flashy right?" Izuku said. Kirishima smiled at his response.

"Yeah, I guess thats true. Bakugo's quirk is pretty flashy, but he's so angry it's not all that cool," Kirishima said with smile, to which Bakugo immediately cursed angrily at him.

"There's also Takeda and Todoroki's. Their's is strong and flashy. And by the way Takeda, I know you were holding back when we fought. Next time I'm going to force you to go all out and I won't lose when you do!" Kirishima happily exclaimed.

"Hm, that's great," Zen replied without even opening his eyes.

"Come on man! Don't ignore like that," Kirishima said with a frown to which everyone let out a light laugh.

Soon everyone looked on in amazement as a large building came into sight. Seeing their destination everyone started to become excited as they neared the U.S.J. Once there, everyone got off the bus where they were met by a hero in spacesuit like costume. The hero introduced themselves as Thirteen, the rescue hero. Once inside, everyone marveled at the sight before them. There were multiple areas, each simulating a different type of disaster zone from floods to fires to storms.

"All right everyone, here you will all be tested in your reactions to rescuing others in disaster zones. Thirteen here, who specializes in these types of situations, will be the one who will supervise you. I will also be helping out as well as All Might, once he gets here," Aizawa said, motioning to Thirteen to take over.

"Thank you, everyone for coming today. The purpose of this test is to learn to use your quirks to try and aid others in times of danger. Quirks that you possess are a power that can be in many ways, good or evil, depending on how they are used. As heroes, we have a special responsibility to use them for the sake of others. Your powers are not meant to be used to inflict harm for your own desires. I hope that you leave here today with the understanding that you're meant to help people," Thirteen explained. Everyone in class nodded, as the teachers prepared to begin the lesson.

"Any word from All Might yet?" Aizawa asked.

"No, he must've gotten caught in some kind of situation. He still hasn't responded to our calls," Thirteen said, checking their phone. Aizawa sighed as he checked his. While the teachers were discussing their plans, Zen felt a chill up his spine and instinctively began looking around with a serious face.

"Takeda? What's wrong?" Izuku asked, noticing his classmates serious face.

"Everyone, be careful. Somethings coming, something bad..." Zen warned. Not even a second later, a dark portal appeared in the center of the building, causing everyone to freeze up.

"This feeling... it can't be," Zen said, sensing the same sinister feeling from the day before. Looking down, everyone saw a long skinny, hand coming the portal. A young man with messy blue hair with a fake hand covering most of his face walked through. Even with most of his face obscured, everyone could see the sinister malice in his eyes. Soon he was followed by a large monstrous looking man with a dark body. His face was covered a beak with sharp teeth, as well as an exposed brain. After him was a massive mob of countless villains, each one having unique traits of their own, but they all possessed the same sinister intent.

"A-Are those villains? Is this supposed to be part of the test?" Mina asked, her voice shaking.

"Everyone stay back! This is real," Aizawa warned.

"My, my, I was told All Might was supposed to be here. This won't do at all," The villain with the hand covering his face muttered.

"(They knew All Might was supposed to be here? Does this mean, they were the ones who infiltrated the U.A. Barrier yesterday?)" Aizawa pondered.

The villain with the hands then shrugged as he said, "Oh well, I guess this will just have to do. Maybe he will show up if we kill all the children. Just imagining the look of the despair on his face is already making me so excited!". With his order, all of the other villains began to slowly advance towards the students, who were preparing to fight.

"Thirteen, look after the students. Try and contact the school as soon as you can," Aizawa said, putting on his goggles.

"Mr. Aizawa, you can't fight them alone! You're quirk's specialty is one on one fights. In a battle against so many villains, you are at a serious disadvantage!" Izuku said worriedly.

"Just sit back and watch. You can't be a hero if you only have one trick," Aizawa said. The eraser hero jumped down the stairs, as he prepared to stop the incoming mob of enemies. The villains possessing long range quirks moved forward to try and stop the hero, only to be shocked when they found themselves unable to use their quirks. Aizawa used his cloth to immediately dispatch several of them by throwing them against each other. The villains were even more shocked when they found themselves being completely overwhelmed by the hero in close combat. The students above looked on in amazement as they watched their teacher's display of skill. While everyone was watching on in amazement, Zen felt something creeping up on them and turned to see the same shadow that the earlier portal resembled. The shadow completely covered the exit to the building just before they could escape.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I cannot allow you all to leave this place. My name is Kurogiri and I shall have the pleasure of ending you all here and now," Kurogiri stated in an almost polite tone as his darkness began to spread around them.

"Everyone get back!" Thirteen ordered, as they stood in front of the students. Just as they prepared to activate their quirk, they stopped when they saw Kirishima and Bakugo jumping ahead. Kirishima hardened his arm to attack while Bakugo released an explosive right hook. The two student's attacks failed to hit any physical target however, as they passed right through the villain.

"You children are certainly feisty aren't you? I'm afraid it would be too troublesome to deal with you all at once, so I would like you all to meet some of my friends!" Kurogiri exclaimed as his darkness completely enveloped the students. Zen was unable to see anything beyond the dark cloud that covered him and was unable to use his quirk in fear that he may strike one of his classmates. He attempted to use his senses to try and locate the villain but for some reason he felt the wavelengths on the ground become distorted and unreadable.

(Conflagration Zone, U.S.J)

Soon the darkness began to die down in intensity and slowly he was able to see just a little bit more. Suddenly he felt a massive wave of heat and was unsure of the cause until the darkness fully disappeared from under him. Looking around he noticed he was in the middle of a street with countless burning buildings around him. Looking over he noticed the only other person beside him was Ojiro, who was just as confused as he was.

"Takeda? What's going on? Did we get teleported somewhere else?" the tailed hero asked.

"No, we're definitely still at the U.S.J. I can still sense everyone, but their all over the place. I'm guessing that warp guy split us up all around the place," Zen explained. As the two looked around at the burning scenery, Zen felt multiple footsteps from the ground.

"Get ready. It looks like we're completely surrounded," Zen warned.

"What?" Ojiro asked before the two saw villains appearing from every side. The two could hear various threats and laughs coming from the villains as they steadily moved towards the two. Zen and Ojiro had their backs to each other as they each prepared to fight.

"There's too many of them, should we run for now and think of a plan?" Ojiro suggested.

"There's no need. We can take them on," Zen said, clenching his fist. One of the villains laughed at the student's reaction. A large man with a tank top walked out from behind the crowd and smiled sinisterly at the two. He had a dark mask with horns which covered everything aside from his eyes. On his hands were brass knuckles adorned with spikes.

"You two punks really think you can take us all on? I guess getting into U.A has really gotten to your heads. Time for a lesson boys," The villain taunted, as he took a stance. The man's body started to shake and convulse as the ground around him shook a little. Slowly his muscles began to rise and expand as his size suddenly overshadowed the two heroes. The other villains backed away from the man in fear as his growth finished.

"How do you like my strength enhancement quirk? With this, I have as much power as even All Might! Sorry kid, but I can't hold back when I'm like this!" The man said excitedly as he raised his arm into the air. Forming a fist, he brought down his hand like a hammer over Zen. The resulting impact created a loud shockwave which sent threatened to push everyone onto the ground, as a large cloud of dust formed over the area.

"Takeda!" Ojiro called out worriedly as tried to maintain his footing after the impact. Concerned for his classmates safety, Ojiro was worried about what he would see after the dust cleared. Once the dust fully cleared from the area, Ojiro let out a sigh of relief while all of the other villains looked on in shock. The large villains face had lost all shred of his earlier confidence as he looked beneath him.

"Is this really all you've got? Don't you dare compare yourself to All Might with pathetic strength like this," Zen said disappointedly as he looked up at the larger villain. He had his hand open which was casually holding onto the villains much larger hand. He didn't have a single sign of damage on his body as he casually stood where he had before.

"I-Impossible!" The villain exclaimed as he raised his hand again. This time he tried to land a powerful right hook, to which Zen's expression suddenly became serious. Clenching his glowing fist, Zen met the villains punch with his own. The moment their fists met, the villains brass knuckles instantly bent with the spikes shattering almost immediately. The villain felt an overwhelming force that traveled from his fist along his arm until it reached the rest of his body. He felt a surge of pain pass through him as he sent flying back, crashing into a nearby building. The villains looked on nervously as the saw that his eyes had rolled into the back of his head and that he had fallen unconscious.

"Jeez, getting me worried for nothing," Ojiro said gladly as he stood beside Zen.

"Come on, let's take care of this and meet up with the others," Zen said as he raced towards the villains. Putting aside their shock, they immediately prepared to face the incoming students. All of the long ranged quirk users lined up in a row and began firing countless projectiles such as bullets and nails. Zen launched a punch just before the projectiles hit and created a wide spread shockwave. Each projectile stopped in mid-air before shooting straight back in the direction of their users. The villains cried out in pain as they were bombarded by the sudden storm of projectiles. Using that opportunity, Zen appeared in front of one of the villains who managed to avoid damage and delivered a swift punch to his cheekbone, knocking him out. Another villain tried to strike the boy from behind only for Zen to side step him without even looking back. As the villain was falling, Zen grabbed the back of the villains of collar and threw him back towards the other villains. He then sent a shockwave at him, instantly sweeping aside all of the villains in the area. He looked over to Ojiro, who was easily overwhelming the villains on his end. Using his tail, he knocked aside one villain, while delivering a powerful kick to another. While Zen was watching, a villain silently snuck up behind the boy, only to feel a sharp pain in his abdomen. He looked down to see Zen's elbow embedded in his stomach. Letting out a groan, the villain fell down with a thud. Just as Ojiro landed an uppercut on the last villain he was fighting, he saw Zen walking over to him.

"You've got some pretty good moves. I can tell you've honed for a while now," Zen complimented sincerely.

"Thanks, but I can't compare to your moves. Where did you learn them from?" Ojiro asked curiously.

"I didn't really take lessons or anything like that. I just learned to anticipate my opponents moves and simply pick the most logical counter, it's nothing impressive," Zen said, looking around at all of the fallen villains.

"Could've fooled me. You look like a martial arts master. I'd love to train with you sometime, I'm sure I could learn a lot," Ojiro complimented.

"Hm, that sounds nice," Zen said before looking up into the burning buildings around them.

"I know you're all there. I suggest you pick whether to run or fight before we come to you," Zen yelled out to the seemingly empty buildings before the two noticed sudden movements from inside. They saw the villains quickly jumping down and frantically running away.

"Wow, these guys weren't nearly tough as I thought," Ojiro said, as he watched the villains run further away from them.

"That's whats concerning me," Zen said, putting his hand on his chin.

"What do you mean?" Ojiro asked.

"Earlier, that villain with the hand on his face as well as the warp gate villain mentioned All Might. They clearly knew he was supposed to be here and had some sort of plan for him. I originally thought they were going to try to overwhelm him with many powerful villains, but after this I have to wonder. Most of the villains that showed up here are just ordinary street thugs with no real coordination. If thats the case then there would be no chance of them defeating him," Zen pondered.

"Now that you mention it, you do have a point... What do you think their plan is then?" Ojiro asked.

"I'm not sure... Out of all the villains we've encountered so far, there are only three that I would say are significant threats. Maybe those three are the key to their plan," Zen explained.

"Which three?" Ojiro asked, unsure of who Zen was mentioning.

"First theres the villain with the hand on his face. I could sense his sinister intent from a mile away. The second is that warp villain, who is clearly much more competent and powerful than these lackeys. And the third is that bird guy. I'm not sure why, but just the sight of him made me break out into a sweat earlier. I'm not sure what his power is, but I could immediately tell that he's dangerous," Zen said, recalling the three villains.

"Hm that seems reasonable. I wish we could ask the villains themselves, but these guys aren't going to come to any time soon," Ojiro said, poking one of the unconscious villains.

"Theres no point in wondering about it now. Those villains were heading in the direction of another zone. I feel multiple people in that direction. Hopefully some of our classmates are there," Zen suggested.

"Yeah, thats a good idea. Hopefully they are alright," Ojiro said concerned before the two began chasing after the fleeing villains.

(Mountain Zone, U.S.J)

In the disaster area covered by rugged mountains and cliffs, multiple villains lay scattered across the ground. Only four figures remained standing. Although the situation was less than ideal for the Class 1-A students. Currently a burned out Kaminari was being held hostage by a masked villain with an electric type quirk. Momo and Jirou could only look on in frustration as they were helpless to save to their classmate.

"I can't believe this. We were too careless..." Momo said, gritting her teeth.

"I suggest you hurry up and make your decision. Either kill each other now, or this kid goes," the villain threatened, making electricity form from hand which he placed near Kaminari's oblivious face.

Before either side could make a move, the all noticed several explosions in the distance which seemed to progressively get closer. Taking a closer look, they noticed several villains with panicked looks on their faces that running towards them.

"Hey! What the hell is going with you all?!" the electric villain yelled out while making sure to keep an eye on the two girls.

The villains couldn't even answer his question as another group to their side was suddenly blow up into the air by a sudden attack.

"R-Run! This kid's a monster!" one of the villains exclaimed as the two next to him were also blown away. Soon only a single villain remained, and he thought he was home free as he nearly reached the electric villain. His vision suddenly went white as something crashed directly on top of him, making a powerful shockwave throughout the area. After the dust settled, Zen was revealed to be on top of the now knocked out villain with his fist to the villains head in a crater.

"T-Takeda!" Momo exclaimed happily as her classmate started walking towards them.

"Sorry I'm late. What's going on with Kaminari? He looks even dumber than usual," Zen coldly said as he continued walking towards them.

"Stay back! Don't come any closer unless you want to see your friend get killed!" the villain threatened, as he pulled the blond boy closer.

"Are you really sure you want to do that? If you at least run now, you might be able to leave here unscathed," Zen said, while subtly motioning to Momo and Jirou with his hand, to which they caught on quickly. Taking another step forward, the villain began to panic and increased the frequency of his electricity.

"I said stay back!" the villain said in a panicked tone. With his attention away from the two women, Momo grabbed her staff and lunged it towards to villain, striking his arm and freeing Kaminari. In that moment, Jirou used her sound weapon on her legs to knock the villain away from Kaminari, who had yet to fully recover. Not missing a beat, as soon as the villain was far away enough from Kaminari, Zen suddenly appeared in front of the villain. Before he could react, Zen brought his hand to the villains face and forced him onto the ground, making a large crater. The impact was so sudden that the villain couldn't even process what had just occurred. While he was pinned, Zen delivered a punch to his chest, knocking him out and creating an even larger crater beneath them. After making sure his enemy was subdued, Zen went over to check on his classmates.

"Thanks a lot for the help Takeda. I don't want to think about what would've happened if you hadn't come when you did," Momo said.

"It looks like you guys were fine on your own, but what's the matter with him?" Zen asked, referring to Kaminari, was still walking around with a dazed look on his face.

"Don't worry about him, he just short circuited his brain. Honestly he's a lot more bearable like this," Jirou remarked. The three then looked over to see an exhausted looking Ojiro running towards them.

"Ha... ha... there you are! Jeez, slow down a little. Trying to keep up with you isn't easy, you know," Ojiro said, putting his hands on his knees in exhaustion.

"Sorry, I just afford to let those guys get away," Zen apologized in his usual tone.

"So it looks like you guys finished things up on your end. What should we do now? We still don't know how everyone else is doing," Momo asked.

"For right now you guys should go and meet up with everyone at the exit. I can see them all up there," Zen suggested, pointing to Mina and Uraraka, who could be seen on top of the stairs by the exit.

"Wait, you're not coming with us?" Ojiro asked, concerned.

"I'm just going to go check up on the others besides I want to know just what these villains are really planning. With my quirk, I should be able to find my way around. For right now, you guys should meet up with everyone else. Once Kaminari is... back in commission, he should be able to contact the pros now that the villain, who was jamming the signal, is defeated," Zen explained before beginning to walk away.

"All right, we'll go with that plan for now. I just hope the others are alright," Ojiro agreed while Jirou tried to guide Kaminari by pushing him along.

"Wait Takeda," Momo called out. Zen stopped and looked back at Momo, who had a concerned look on her face.

"Don't do anything reckless, alright?"

"Don't worry, Vice Rep, I'm not Bakugo. I'll be fine," Zen replied before walking away. Momo was still worried, but she reluctantly put aside her worries to catch with the others.

Once the four reached the top exit, they were shocked by the sight before them. Mina and Uraraka were tending to Thirteen, who looked like they were completely torn open from the back.

"Yaoyorozu! Jirou! Kaminari, and Ojiro! You're all right!" Uraraka exclaimed, as she wiped away her tears.

"W-What happened?!" Yaoyorozu asked frantically, as they rushed over to their classmates.

"Thirteen... got injured trying to protect us," Mina said in a low tone. Momo looked around to her other classmates, who held their heads low.

"Where is everyone else? And what happened to that warp villain?"

"Iida was able to escape. Hopefully he'll be able to reach the pros soon. I'm not sure where everyone else is, we were the only ones who didn't get teleported away. As for that shadow guy, he disappeared after Iida got away," Sero explained.

"I see, let's hope that's a good sign then. For right now, let's see if we can do anything for Thirteen," Momo said, forming bandages and other first aid equipment from her chest.

"H-Hey guys... Y-You might want to see this..." Sato said in a shaky voice. They others walked to the stairs to see what he was talking about, but they immediately regretted their decision. The horrible sight at the Central Plaza completely renewed and intensified the fear they felt many times over.

O-O

(Central Plaza, U.S.J)

"I-I can't believe this," Izuku said in a shaky voice. He along with Tsuyu and Mineta were currently hiding in the water by the Central Plaza. After subduing the villains on their end, they made their way to the plaza to check on their teacher, only to instantly regret their choice due the sight they stumbled upon.

Aizawa was currently lying in puddle of his blood with many noticeable bones and joints out of place. Another noticeable injury was his elbow, which seemed like the skin and on muscles were actually cracked. He was held by his head by the large beaked villain, while Tomura looked on in amusement.

"This is horrible, I can't watch anymore... we should go..." Mineta suggested, holding back tears.

"No way, we can't just leave Mr. Aizawa like that," Izuku refuted.

"But if even Mr. Aizawa couldn't beat them, then what can we do? It might be best to wait for the pros to handle this," Tsuyu suggested. The three then noticed a portal appearing beside Tomura which manifested into Kurogiri.

"Kurogiri, did you handle the children?" Tomura asked.

"Forgive me, one of them was able to escape," Kurogiri apologized to which Tomura visibly became more aggravated.

"Damn it, Kurogiri! Do you know what this means?! It's game over! The pros are going to be here soon, this was not part of the plan at all! First All Might isn't here and now this! If you weren't our warp gate, I would have killed you by now!" Tomura said angrily, as he began ferociously scratching his neck. The scraping of skin grew louder and louder, as he left bloody red marks. He kept speeding up until suddenly he came to a halt and let out a sigh.

"Ha... Let's just go home, we'll get a do over later. But first..." Tomura said, turning around to look directly at the three students. Their eyes widened as suddenly Tomura appeared mere inches from them with his hand stretched out.

"Let's leave All Might with a nice portrait of despair," Tomura said with malice in his voice, as he reached out his hand to Tsuyu's face.

Aizawa looked on in horror, as he struggled futilely to try and activate his quirk. He trembled as he couldn't get his head high enough to look at Tomura.

"(Damn it... This monster won't let me get my head high enough! If I don't then...)" Aizawa's thoughts raced as he struggled against the monster above him. His heart nearly stopped as he was able to tell how close Tomura was to his students. Izuku was the same, as he saw the villain beside him. His heart and mind began racing hundreds of times faster, as he thought back to what the villains quirk did to his teacher moments earlier. He knew what he had to do, but his body was nowhere near fast enough to react as the villains hand was less than a centimeter away from Tsuyu.

"ASUI!" Izuku mentally shouted, as his mouth was not able to process fast enough.

In that instant, Tomura disappeared, followed by a powerful gust of wind which ruptured the water around them, nearly pushing them with the current.

Opening their eyes, the students couldn't even register what had happened. Tsuyu's face was still in shock and fear from Tomura's appearance but regained her composure when the three looked to their side. Kurogiri looked on in the same direction and was every bit as shocked as they were. Tomura was currently slumped against a wall which had a massive crater in in from the earlier unknown force.

"Tomura! What was that?!" Kurogiri asked in shock as he and students looked over at the cause at the exact same time.

"Whew, that was way too close for comfort. You guys aren't hurt, are you?" a familiar voice asked in a calm tone. Izuku and Mineta's eyes nearly watered at the sight of their rescuer.

"Takeda!" Izuku exclaimed, as he saw his classmate walk towards them.

"I don't think this a good time for a swim," Zen remarked. He then looked over to see Aizawa, who feebly tried to look at him, only for his head to fall limp and fall unconscious soon after.

"Mr. Aizawa... Damn it... I was too late," Zen said, frustrated as he looked over to the villains.

"You... how did you get here? Surely you couldn't have bested our allies already?" Kurogiri asked in disbelief.

"If you really think a bunch of third rate thugs like those can handle us, then you've sorely underestimated us just because we young," Zen replied, giving the villain a hard look.

"(Those eyes... This presence... Who is this child? Why does he seem so familiar?)" Kurogiri thought before noticing movement from Tomura.

"Ow... That really hurt, damn it!" Tomura complained as he slowly returned to his feet. He slowly walked over towards Zen direction, and the two stared each other down, their combined presences made the air around them much heavier. Izuku and the others suddenly felt it much harder to breathe.

"That was pretty strong, kid. But such a dirty sneak attack doesn't suit heroes now does it?" Tomura taunted, rubbing his wounds.

"Hmph, like I need to hear that from a bunch of villains who launched an attack on high school students," Zen coldly replied.

"Be careful, Takeda! Don't let his hands touch you, his quirk lets him decay whatever he touches," Izuku warned.

"Decay... So I was right. You were the one who infiltrated U.A yesterday, weren't you?" Zen asked.

"Oh? You saw me, did you? Well now, that just won't do at all. That gives another reason to exterminate you," Tomura threatened, his hands tensing.

"Takeda, you shouldn't fight him! His hands are dangerous," Mineta warned.

"His aren't the only ones," Zen replied, his hands glowing through his gloves. After several seconds of deafening silence between the two, Tomura was the first to make his move. At first it appeared his speed was beyond Zen's, as Tomura's hand was mere inches away from his un-reacting face. The villain was shocked however, when the younger boy suddenly disappeared and reappeared above him. Zen's foot formed a bubble around it before descending down towards Tomura. Tomura jumped back right before Zen landed, created a massive shockwave around him that completely crushed the ground. Before Tomura landed, Zen launched a punch into the air, sending a wide ranged shockwave that sent Tomura flying back into a wall.

"That's the attack from before! He can produce both long ranged shockwaves and close ranged physical ones," Kurogiri said.

Just as Tomura tried to stand back up, Zen appeared in front of the villain and delivered a powerful punch to his abdomen, making his completely crash through the wall, skidding on his back against the hard concrete. Tomura wasted no time in jumping back up and moving to the attack. He tried to touch Zen with his quirk, only for the boy to catch his wrist. Tomura tried to launch a kick to his stomach, only to be struck across the face by a swift left hook. With his hand free, Tomura attempted to touch Zen again, only to be met a barrage of strikes to his arms and chest, sending him back with a grunt of pain.

"This kid... He's so fast, he's not giving any chance to go on the offensive" Tomura mumbled in frustration as he held his aching arm.

He continued to attack only to be outpaced and outfought at each turn, until finally Zen was able to knock both of his hands into the air, leaving his center wide open. His hands glowed, until five small bubbles formed on each finger of his right hand. He then lunged forward and delivered a direct hit to Tomura's chest.

 **"Five Point Thrust!"**

Five narrow shockwaves passed through Tomura's body, producing a powerful gust of wind to blow through the area. Tomura gasped in pain as he was sent stumbling back, until he fell onto his knees.

From above, the stairs, Momo and others watched on in amazement as they witnessed their classmate completely overwhelming the villain.

"Wow, Takeda's got that guy completely on the ropes," Jirou said in an impressed tone

"Yeah, show that villain who's boss!" Sero cheered.

"I just hope things stay this good for us," Momo said quietly, worry still filling her heart, as she continued to tend to Thirteen.

Back down in the Central Plaza, Zen continued to walk closer towards the injured villain, who continued to hold tightly onto his chest.

"This hurts! This really hurts! What are you, some kind of monster, kid?! Is this suppose to be some sort of hidden boss because if it is, I'm not at all amused!" Tomura shouted in pain, as he was unable to even stand. Zen didn't respond, as he powered up his fist and prepared to deliver the finishing blow. Just before he cold attack, Kurogiri's portal appeared beneath him, causing him to sink into the ground. Zen looked over towards Kurogiri, and saw Tomura reappearing through a portal beside him

"Tomura! Are you alright?!" Kurogiri asked in a worried tone.

"No! Does it look like I'm alright?!" Tomura shouted. He then looked over to the beaked villain and smiled maniacally.

"You know what? You might be a some sort of monster, but I've got an even scarier monster. I think I've had just about enough today. Nomu! Kill this kid," Tomura ordered. At his order, the once motionless Nomu let go of Aizawa and looked at Zen with it's lifeless bulging eyes.

"Nomu? So that's what this guy is called. I've got a bad feeling about this..." Zen stated with a hint of worry in his voice as he prepared to take on this new threat.

"T-This is bad... That's the guy who took down even Mr. Aizawa. Takeda! You need to run!" Izuku shouted. Zen didn't even have time to process his words before suddenly Nomu loomed over him and smashed the ground. The impact created a massive explosion of dust and concrete which began to rain down around the plaza.

Tomura smiled arrogantly before noticing Zen was gone after the smoke cleared. He looked over to see him a few meters away from Nomu.

"(That was so fast... This guy is leagues above the others we've faced so far. Had I been a second later, that would've been it for me)" Zen thought with a bead of sweat rolling down the side of his face as he saw Nomu looking towards him again. Bolting from his position, it took no time for Nomu to close the distance between the two. Sending a powerful punch to the ground, Zen narrowly avoided the attack by moving one step to the side. Seeing his chance while Nomu's arm was still embedded into the ground, Zen's elbow glowed a soft white and used it to smash into the Nomu's arm. The power sent a shockwave through the area, and Nomu's arm muscles even began to bend and rupture. Unexpectedly, Nomu retaliated instantly by swiping at Zen with that very arm. Zen barely ducked on time for Nomu's arm to fly over his head.

"(There's no way! His arm should've been broken with that attack!)" Zen thought. After Nomu's arm fully passed over his head, Zen wasted no time in moving back to the offensive. With his fist glowing, Zen struck Nomu's exposed stomach, the force of which shattered the ground around them. To his surprise, Nomu's arms were at both of his sides, ready to crush him in between them. Powering up his legs, Zen jumped upward, punching under Nomu's beak and jumped away just before he could be crushed. Once he landed, he saw Nomu completely unfazed by his attacks as the creature continued to look at him with it's bulging eyes.

"You're strong. I guess I can't afford to hold back against you," Zen stated. This time a quake bubble formed around both of his hands. Readying himself, he bolted from his position while Nomu did the same. As soon as the two met, they exchanged a punch, Zen's quake powered punch to Nomu's. The impact sent a powerful force through the area that was felt by even the students at the exit. Nomu's arm could visibly be seen trembling and warping from the force of Zen's shockwave. Zen then delivered another punch to Nomu's stomach, this time the force was much greater in power and it sent Nomu skidding back several meters away. When he stopped, Nomu was looking straight down and there were no signs of movement from the beaked villain. The punch left a large circular indention in Nomu's stomach that made it's muscle look ruptured and distorted.

"D-Did that do it?" Izuku asked in a shaky voice. All of the U.A student's eyes widened when noticed Nomu's body begin to shake and his muscles began to warp and tremble. His arms started to straighten out, but the most notable change was the indention in his stomach began to inflate and return to it's normal position. Letting out a loud roar, Nomu appeared no different than he did at the beginning of the battle. At the exit all of the students were in disbelief at the sight they were seeing.

"No way! That punch was able to blow a huge hole through the giant robot at the Entrance Exam, there's no way any person could take that and come out with no damage!" Mina yelled out in disbelief.

"Well that monster was able to take out Mr. Aizawa, but you're right. All of those blows should've definitely done some major damage. What exactly is that guy? Is it his quirk?" Ojiro asked, his voice slightly trembling.

"Takeda..." Momo whispered worriedly.

Back down below Zen had a serious look on his face as he and Nomu stared each other down.

"I bet you're surprised, aren't you?" Tomura said mockingly as he watched the battle, his wounds now mostly healed.

"Nomu is our secret weapon against All Might. Your quirk allows you to create shockwaves, right? Well unfortunately for you, you couldn't have run into a worse opponent. Nomu here, has shock absorption. You know what that means right?" Tomura asked.

"Shock absorption? You can't be serious," Zen said, irritated.

"This is bad, if that guy really does have shock absorption then Takeda couldn't be up against a worse opponent," Izuku said worriedly.

"(So the natural counter against my quirk, huh? But something isn't right... His speed is so fast that I can barely make a move in time, and his strength matches even my strongest shockwaves. There's no way that's just his natural abilities, something else is going on here)" Zen contemplated. He didn't have any more time to think before Nomu rushed towards him once again. Nomu began launching a flurry of punches that forced Zen to continuously dodge and step back.

"Shock absorption or not, there has to be some kind of weakness!" Zen said, as he continued to be forced backwards by the array of punches. He carefully looked all over Nomu's body until he saw his exposed brain. With an idea flashing in his head, he saw a slight opening between Nomu's punches. He reached his hand forward and grabbed Nomu's beak with swift accuracy. Zen then forced Nomu to the ground, and before the villain could make another move, a quake bubble formed around his head.

 **"Grand Shock!"**

The quake bubble instantly decompressed all of it's energy, destroying all of the ground around them in large explosion. Zen let go of the villains face, which was shrouded by dust, but the moment he did, he sensed something coming towards him. His eyes widened as Nomu's large fist appeared through the dust and aimed straight for him. Having no time to back away, Zen crossed his arms together to block the punch. The force proved to be too much as it completely propelled him into the air. He then landed by the water where Izuku, Tsuyu, and Mineta were.

"Takeda, are you alright?!" Izuku asked worriedly. Zen's arms were numb from the powerful impact, but overall he didn't sustain any major damage.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I haven't felt this in a while. This guy's strength is nothing to scoff at. I still can't believe Grand Shock didn't work. At the very least he should've been knocked out from that much force to his head," Zen said, surprised.

"How is this kid holding up so long against Nomu? He is designed just for All Might, yet this kid is giving him trouble?" Tomura said, irritated.

"I'm more surprised he was able to take a direct hit from Nomu. That should've been enough to kill him. This child will surely be a threat if let unchecked. His keen senses, combat ability, and the power of his quirk are allowing him to match Nomu," Kurogiri warned.

Zen was about to clash with Nomu again before he noticed Aizawa still on the ground bleeding. Knowing exactly what he needed to do, he looked over to his three classmates.

"Midoriya, Asui, Mineta, I need to ask you guys to do something," Takeda said, not taking his eyes off of Nomu.

"What is it?" Izuku asked in a nervous tone, as he and the others got out of the water.

"Take Mr. Aizawa and meet up with the others at the exit, I'll try and keep these guys occupied as long as I can," Zen ordered.

"What?! That's way too dangerous, besides your quirk isn't effective against that guy. He's someone who might be as strong as even All Might," Izuku argued only to be given a stern look from Zen.

"We don't have any choice. There's no chance of us all getting away from these guys. Mr. Aizawa is in bad shape, we might bleed out at this rate. The longer we take, the more danger he'll be in. Out of all of us here, I can hold him off the longest," Zen explained.

"But how are you going to do that? None of your attacks will work against him," Tsuyu said.

"Someone once told me that you can't just rely on your quirk to fight a battle. I'll find a way, just hurry and go," Zen ordered.

The three hesitated before looking at their wounded teacher. Seeing no other option, they reluctantly agreed to his plan. Rushing over to him, they began carrying the bloodied hero away.

"Do you really believe we'll just let you leave?" Kurogiri asked before preparing to teleport to them. Just before he could, Zen fired a shockwave, destroying the ground directly in front of the villain.

"I suggest you stand back and watch. In the time it takes you to teleport, I can easily flatten you," Zen threatened, without a single shred of hesitation in his eyes. Seeing the boy's resolve and his earlier display of strength, Kurogiri knew that it wasn't a bluff.

"(This child... This isn't his first time encountering life and death in battle. Who is he?)" Kurogiri thought.

Turning his attention back to Nomu, Zen couldn't help but feel unease around the villain.

"(None of my attacks can affect this guy. I need to change my tactics... He's obviously the strongest one here, but the leader is that Tomura guy. If I can take him out, then that might be enough to demoralize the rest of the villains. First I need to do something about his Nomu guy though...)" Zen pondered. Looking around, there was only flat ground and water, leaving his options limited. Making up his mind, Zen turned his attention back to Nomu while making sure to glance over at Kurogiri and Tomura every once in a while. Nomu made the first move by reaching out and attempting to crush Zen with his grip. Zen fired a shockwave through the air that struck Nomu just before he could reach him. Due to his shock absorption, Nomu was only pushed back a few feet before he overcame the attack. By then, Zen was already above Nomu with a quake bubble around his fist. He first struck Nomu by his neck, forcing his head down. Once he landed, Zen put both of his palms to Nomu's chest and released one massive shockwave that blew him far into the air. Zen then jumped into the air after him and launched a barrage of punches his chest, only for each strike to be ineffective. Nomu moved to retaliate by launching another punch but Zen propelled himself further into the air with his shockwaves. By then, both of them were just above the large body of water that surrounded the plaza. Forming two quake bubbles around his feet, Zen kicked downwards, decompressing the shockwaves which sent Nomu flying towards the water below. The dark villain crashed into the water with loud splash, creating a massive pillar of water and sending large ripples throughout the area.

Looking down, he saw Tomura and Kurogiri running in the direction of Izuku and the others. Using another shockwave, he sent himself flying down towards the plaza, and crashed just in front of the two villains. Just as Kurogiri prepared to teleport, Zen knelt down and charged two separate shockwaves. The first was on his leg and the other around his entire hand and forearm which was outstretched. Releasing the one on his leg, he blasted himself towards the warp villain. and caught the villain's metal plate between his bicep and forearm.

 **"Lariat!"**

The sudden force blasted Kurogiri through several trees, causing wood to break and to fall over. He then turned his attention to Tomura, onyx eyes meeting red ones. Zen clenched his fist, a quake bubble appearing soon after. He raced towards Tomura, who didn't make any move to counter. Zen's eyes widened as suddenly Kurogiri's portal appeared in front of the blue haired villain. A familiar arm came through and clashed fists with Zen. The force being mostly absorbed but still a massive amount of wind pressure blowing at Tomura. Being cautious, Zen jumped backwards and took a defensive stance.

"Well now, aren't you ruthless? That punch could've kill me you know," Tomura remarked, as Nomu completely came through the portal, soaking wet. Kurogiri reappeared beside them with noticeable dents in his metal plate.

"That was a pretty good plan. Temporarily restrict Nomu's movements and then coming for us, quite ingenious. Unfortunately for you, as long as I know where something is, I can instantly warp them there," Kurogiri said.

While the three villains started to encircle him, he looked behind him to see that Izuku and the others were gone. Smiling he turned his attention back to the villains.

"Buying time for your friends to escape? Aren't you heroic? I wonder, how will you get out of this then?" Tomura snapped, as suddenly multiple villains came from every side. Zen soon found himself completely surrounded on every side by villains. Ordinarily the new villains wouldn't be an issue for Zen however, the real problem was the three main ones working in unison with them. He grit his teeth as the villains on all sides began to close in on him.

"You've given us enough trouble kid. I think it's time you learned what happens to those who make me mad. If I can't kill All Might today, then I'll let out all my grief and frustration on you!" Tomura exclaimed, as he charged head first towards Zen. Zen prepared to counter, but just before Tomura reached him, the villain disappeared into one of Kurogiri's portals. He had no time to try and anticipate the villains incoming attack due to the other villains using their long range quirks to fire at him. Zen started sprinting towards the villains while continuously dodging projectile after projectile. Just before he came within striking range of the first villain, Kurogiri's portal appeared in front of the villain, and from it Tomura's hand came through. Zen quickly grabbed his wrist just before it reached him. Using all of his strength, Zen dragged Tomura through the portal and slammed him against the hard concrete with a loud grunt. Before he could deliver another attack, Zen was forced to jump back to evade another volley of shots. Just as he did, Nomu was already behind him, ready to deliver another attack. Just before he could turn to counter, Tomura was already nearing Zen with his hand stretched out. Zen turned to face Nomu first by using a quake punch to counter Nomu's own. By then Tomura was already mere inches away from Zen. Seeing that he did not have enough time to counter the incoming attack, Zen braced himself for the inevitable attack. Just before Tomura touched Zen's exposed backside, he saw a green and blue blur from the corner of his eye.

 **"Smash!"**

Izuku appeared and delivered a powerul punch, send a massive explosion throughout the area that knocked away several villains from the force.

"Midoriya?!" Zen called out before realizing that Nomu, was previously in front of him, was now gone. Izuku noticed that his arm wasn't broken and stared in shock. He didn't have much time to think about that however, once the dust started clearing. After the dust cleared, Izuku was shocked to see that his punch hit a different target. Nomu stood in front of Tomura, having fully absorbed the power of Izuku's punch.

"(N-No way?! When did he get here?!)" Izuku thought with panic.

"You know kid. That punch there could've killed me. I can't just let you get away with that. Nomu!" Tomura ordered. Nomu instantly reacted to his order and prepared to deliver a fatal punch. Izuku knew he couldn't react on time, and felt time begin to slow. To his surprise, Zen suddenly jumped in front of him and put his arms together. Taking the full force of the punch, Zen was catapulted back, hitting Izuku, as the two were sent skidding back several yards away on their backs. His body still feeling numb from the impact, Zen slowly got off of Izuku.

"Takeda, why did you do that?" Izuku asked, standing back up.

"You idiot... I thought I told you to meet up with the others," Zen scolded, slowly getting back up.

"Sorry, I just couldn't leave you on your own. Seeing you fight alone, my body just moved on it's own," Izuku replied.

"Well either way, these guys aren't just going to let us walk away. Stay behind me, you'll just end up hurting yourself with your quirk," Zen said, taking a stance.

"That's the thing. That punch earlier... it didn't break my arm," Izuku said, looking at his uninjured arm.

"Hmm... maybe you're starting to get the hang of that quirk, if so then this would be a pretty good for that," Zen remarked.

"Maybe... but I'm not sure I can do it again. Oh! Wait, are you injured? You took that hit earlier for me," Izuku asked, concerned.

"Don't worry, I'm tougher than you think. That monster is strong though... it would be bad news to take a direct hit. Alone he's dangerous enough, but backed up by those two... I think I see how they were planning to fight All Might," Zen said. The two students tensed up, seeing the crowd of villains drawing closer.

"Hey kid, that "Smash" of yours... It's an awful lot like All Might's quirk isn't it?" Tomura asked in a suspicious tone.

"Seeing that kind of power really gets me mad, but what makes me even madder is you having the guts to try and hit with that! It makes my blood boil!" he said angrily, scratching his neck once more.

"Tomura, we need to finish this quickly. The pros will likely be here any moment," Kurogiri advised. Tomura slowly stopped clawing at his neck and let out a deep breath.

"I guess you're right... Let's just finish this then go home," Tomura said before charging towards the two students. Nomu and the other villains started following after him.

"Stay behind me!" Zen ordered before both of fists began glowing. He began launching shockwave after shockwave. Each attack blew away more and more villains, with constant grunts of pain being heard as they were blown into the air, some even blasted into the water. Zen remained on guard and refused to let up the attacking, constantly looking around for Nomu and Tomura. His suspicions were confirmed once he saw several villains running out from the dust. Just as Zen prepared another shockwave, a portal appeared from behind the two. Sensing the incoming danger, Zen turned around only to be too late. From the portal, Tomura appeared with his hand ready to attack an unsuspecting Izuku.

"Midoriya! Behind you!" Zen warned, launching another shockwave to blow away the remaining villains in front of him. Izuku didn't even look back before instinctively using his quirk.

 **"Smash!"**

Just before he hit Tomura, he felt something grab his hand, as the attack crushed the ground around them. Izuku panicked as soon as he saw that Nomu was standing before him with his larger hand wrapped around Izuku's own.

"What?! Where did he come from?!" Zen was shocked. Seeing that all of the villains in front of him were dispatched, Zen raced back to try and back up Izuku. He was stopped in his tracks however, when a dark wall of darkness encircled him. He saw the darkness completely covering the ground below him until he could no longer feel anything below his feet. Soon he found himself falling into the darkness. Zen attempted to use a shockwave on his feet to blast himself up, but then suddenly the darkness around narrowed when he was halfway through, catching around his waste with his arms caught as well.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot allow you to interfere anymore than you already have," Kurogiri's voice rang out, as Zen felt his dark bindings tighten even further. He grunted in pain, as he felt himself being strangled and crushed by the darkness. He tried to use his shockwaves to force Kurogiri off, but due to his arms being below the darkness, his attacks went off in a place he couldn't see. Meanwhile Izuku gasped as he was pulled up by Nomu, who still refused to let go of his arm. Raising his other hand, Nomu reached for Izuku's head. Panicking, Izuku felt tears welling up for fear of what was to come once Nomu touched him. Meanwhile Zen continued to struggle against his dark bindings only for them to tighten even further.

"Gah!" Zen yelled out in pain, as he felt his arms and body being crushed by an ever increasing force.

"(I-I can't move my body... At this rate, he split me in half! If I don't get out soon, not just me, but Midoriya too...)" Zen thought, as he felt his body being crushed even further.

Seeing their classmates caught and helpless, All of the students at the exit could only look on in horror. Uraraka and Mina had tears forming in their eyes, as they continued to watch the horrible sight below. Momo and the others were trembling and could feel their hearts speeding up man times over as they saw the pained faces faces of Zen and Izuku. Just as all hope seemed lost, and as the students began to feel despair, the exit suddenly exploded, and from it a ray of light appeared. The sudden destruction of the door made everyone turn their attention to the exit to find the cause. From the dust, several heavy footsteps resonated throughout the stadium.

"I'm sorry I took so long," a familiar voice rang out. Seeing who it was that stepped out from the dust, everyone felt a massive wave of relief pass through them. It was none other than their savior, All Might. A wide smile crept up on Tomura's face as he saw the man he had sworn to kill.

"Well now... It looks like we're getting a restart after all," Tomura remarked excitedly.

All Might slowly walked forward until he could be seen by everyone below. Instead of his usual smile, his face held a look of pure anger, as he stared down the villains from above.

"Have no fear! For now I am here!"

 **And there we go! (Deep Breath). This chapter ended up much longer than orignally planned. I probably should've split this up into two, but oh well, we're already here. I hope you enjoy the chapter, and I will see you guys all next time. EpicZL out!**


	5. A Hero's Might

**Hey guys, EpicZL here. Here we go again with another chapter so you guys know the deal. Sit back, relax and enjoy chapter 5!**

Chapter 5: A Hero's Might

All Might's rage was clearly seen by the large scowl on his face. The villains below began to tremble as he came into clearer view. Ripping his tie off effortlessly, All Might was ready to once again prove why he was the number one hero.

"All Might... you're actually here" Uraraka said, tears flowing from her eyes.

"Yes, I had a bad feeling so I decided to end my chat with the principle and come here. I then encounter Young Iida on my way here. He explained everything that was going on to me. I told him to go inform the other pros while I come here first," All Might explained, recalling running into a panicked Iida on the way to the U.S.J. Seeing Thirteen and Aizawa both injured and unconscious while being tended to by the others, his fists tightened in frustration.

"(To think, all my colleagues were fighting so hard while I was resting... I can't even imagine what these students to endure all this time)" All Might thought, growing more frustrated as he did so. Throwing aside his blazer, he looked directly at the villains below.

"Have no fear! For now I am here!" All Might exclaimed, the power within his voice causing nearly every villain to take a step back.

"I-Is that really All Might?"

"I've never actually seen him in person before..."

"He's way bigger than I thought he would be"

The morale of the villains instantly began to plummet as they got a clear look of the large, imposing figure of the man they were suppose to target.

"Come on, guys! There's only one of him, and plenty of us. No matter how strong he is, he can't possibly take us al-" the villain paused when he looked back up the stairs, only to notice All Might missing from his spot. The villain's world got instantly turned upside down, as he found himself knocked in the air by an unseen force. The other villains didn't have time to react as they too were quickly dispatched by powerful blows that threw them all up into the air, knocking them out. All Might then appeared, behind them all as they fell down to the ground.

"Hehe... I've been waiting, hero. You trash of society," Tomura said, smiling beneath the hand on his face.

"Hm... it appears he's still as strong as expected," Kurogiri said, shocked by how quickly the hero disposed of his allies. While the villain was focused on All Might, Zen noticed that the grip around him slightly loosened up. Using that opportunity, he wasted no time in using the quakes around his feet to propel him up just a slight bit. By the time Kurogiri noticed, Zen already was able to get his arms free. Placing his hands on the ground, Zen used his shockwave to shatter the entire ground around him, forcing Kurogiri to release his darkness around the boy and jump back.

"Damn, my guard was down. He took advantage of that slight moment, not bad," Kurogiri complimented, falling back to Tomura's side.

"All Might is here, huh?" Zen said, seeing the large man not too far from him. He then turned his attention to Izuku, who was still caught in the clutches of Nomu. Just as he was about to try and rescue the green haired boy, he felt a sudden wave from the ground and noticed All Might was missing from his spot. He looked over and felt time beginning to slow down as he saw All Might rushing forward. Grabbing Izuku, he also knocked Tomura aside. Zen felt time begin to return to normal as he felt a presence and looked to his side. Zen was barely able to catch what happened when All Might suddenly ran to his side with Izuku in his arms.

"(Amazing, he's even faster than that Nomu guy. My eyes barely saw him on time... so this is All Might when he's serious)" Zen thought, impressed. All Might put Izuku down, who was still processing what had happened. Although it happened in the blink of an eye, Zen was just about able to see what had happened. He saw Tomura's hand mask being knocked from his face, a large delay from when All Might had actually done it. Tomura began to panic as he covered up his face, while searching for the other hand. Finding it, he reattached it on, and let a sigh of relief.

"He hit me as he saved that kid. A violent hero as expected. He's fast, I can't follow him with my eyes, but he's still not as fast as I thought he'd be. It must be true then... He's getting weaker!" Tomura said, ecstatically.

"Young Midoriya, Young Takeda. Good work, holding off the villains for so long. I'll handle things now, you two should rest and meet up with the others," All Might ordered.

"All Might, it's too dangerous to fight alone! That brain guy's got shock absorption and-" Izuku warned in a panicked tone but stopped when All Might put his hand out.

"Don't worry, Young Midoriya. You've done more than enough. I've got this!" All Might said, making a pose. Izuku reluctantly nodded as he and Zen took a step back.

"Should we head back?" Izuku asked, as Zen crossed his arms.

"You can if you want. I want to stay and watch. This is a good chance to see the real distance between him and us," Zen said, as he carefully watched All Might and the villains. Seeing that the two were a safe distance away, All Might turned his attention to the villains. Bolting from his spot, All Might crossed his arms with his hands stretched out, aiming for Tomura.

 **"Carolina Smash!"**

All Might released a crossed chop towards the villain on for Nomu to jump in at the last second. The force of the impact was largely absorbed by the larger villain with the rest of the force passing through behind him, creating a large wave in the water. Despite taking the brunt of the attack, Nomu was barely fazed, as his bulging eyes stared into All Might's darker ones. Without warning, Nomu attempted to wrap All Might in a bear hug. The blond hero ducked just in time and countered with a powerful punch to his stomach. Once again the villain appeared to be unaffected as he continued his assault on the hero.

"All right then, how about this!" All Might said, delivering two punches to Nomu's exposed brain, slightly pushing him back. Still the damage was minimal to none as Nomu continued attacking without pause. Zen frowned as he and Izuku watched the fight play out.

"So even All Might's attacks aren't effective? I even gave him all of my strongest hits earlier and he still had no damage," Zen said, his grip tightening around his arms.

"If even All Might's attacks don't work then is he invincible?" Izuku asked worriedly.

"No... That monster's strong and nearly as fast as All Might however, his attacks are more simple and easy to predict. That's how I was able to fight against him earlier despite the difference in power and speed. Outsmarting him appears to be the only way beat him, otherwise as far as physical attacks go, we won't be able to beat him with just brute force," Zen explained.

Tomura, who stood watching on the side, laughed as he watched the two fight.

"Too bad for you. Just like I told that kid over there, Nomu's shock absorption is unmatched. In order to cause any kind of damage to Nomu, you'd have to slowly gouge out his flesh. Whether or not he'd let you do that is a different issue, though," Tomura said in a cocky tone.

"Thanks for the information!" All Might said, coming up with a plan. Dodging Nomu's next attack, All Might quickly ran behind the villain and wrapped his arms around Nomu's waist.

"If that's true then this will be much easier!" All Might yelled out as he lifted the villain up and slammed him down over his head. The force of the impact made a loud explosion as dust began flying everywhere, obscuring everyone's vision of the two combatants.

"D-Did he do it?" Izuku asked in a hopeful tone. Zen had a worried look on his face as he felt something unusual below his feet.

"No... something's wrong. I didn't feel him fully hit the ground," Zen said, carefully looking into the cloud of dust. As soon as the dust cleared, everyone was shocked by what they saw.

"Is... Is that how it is?" All Might said slowly, as blood began dripping from the side of his mouth. Although Nomu's body was in the ground, not all of it was where it should've been. Kurogiri's black warp gate covered the ground below the two, allowing Nomu's upper half to escape from the damage he would've taken. Now Nomu's upper half was just underneath All Might's exposed back where one of his arms was tightly latched onto All Might's side, not know that was his weak point. Blood began appearing from All Might's shirt as the villain tightened his grip. Kurogiri watched on his shadowy figure loomed over the two.

"Were you trying to keep him from moving by sticking him deep in the concrete? Sorry, but you won't be able to stop him like that, especially with us around and with him being as strong as you are," Tomura explained. All Might attempted to break Nomu's ironclad grip on him, but found the villain to be too strong. Tomura then motioned to Kurogiri with his hand.

"I don't want to be overflowing with blood and guts from within me, but I would be happy to take in someone as great as you," Kurogiri said menacingly. The portals beneath them then began shifting. All Might's body began shifting into the ground along with Nomu.

"You are far too fast for most to see with the human eye. Restraining you was Nomu's job. Once your body is halfway in, to close the gate and tear you apart... is my job" Kurogiri said, his yellow eyes narrowing.

"Oh no... He's going try doing what he did to me on All Might," Zen said, recalling being trapped by Kurogiri's portal. Zen looked over and saw a spaced out look on Izuku's face.

"Midoriya?" Zen asked, as Izuku slowly walked towards them. He then began speeding up and sprinting at full speed towards them.

"(All Might, you can't... I still need you. There's still so much I want you to teach me! All Might!")" Izuku's mind began racing as did his heartbeat. He could only think about saving his mentor, as he madly raced towards them.

"(Young Midoriya! Stay away!)" All Might thought, as he saw his student coming towards them. Just as Izuku reached All Might, he reached out his hand, only for Kurogiri's shadowy form to appear in front of him.

"How foolish" He said, preparing to intercept the boy by sending him through a portal. Just as Izuku's arm was through, his heart stopped, fearing what would happen next. Just before his body fully passed through, he felt a hand grab the back of his collar. He then felt himself being quickly pulled back before noticing it was Zen.

"You-" Kurogiri didn't have anytime to finish, before being blasted back by a shockwave from the black haired boy. As he was falling back, Kurogiri felt another hand grab onto his metal plating, and forcing him onto the ground.

"You're in the way, Deku!" Bakugo roared out, forcing Kurogiri onto the ground. Right then a wave of ice appeared on the ground, covering half of Nomu's body.

"Looking over the saw Todoroki, the one who used the ice. Seeing his chance, All Might grabbed onto Nomu's hand, which was the only part on his right side which wasn't frozen. Using all of his strength, he was able to force the villain's hand open. Using that chance, All Might jumped back beside his students.

Tomura then saw Kirishima, who had his arm hardened, jumping towards him. Tomura jumped back, dodging the attack.

"Kacchan, Todoroki, Kirishima!" Izuku sighed out a breath of relief. He then noticed that he was still on the ground with Zen holding his collar.

"You really are an idiot, aren't you," Zen said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Letting go of Izuku, the green haired boy stood up, apologizing. Tomura looked around at the sight before him and put his hands together. All Might was now freed, Nomu and Kurogiri were both captured, and now he was surrounded six heroes total with all of his other allies knocked out.

"They saved All Might, as well capturing Nomu and Kurogiri. They're even mostly uninjured after all that. Kids these days are really something else, aren't they? They really make the League of Villains look bad," Tomura said, sighing. He then turned his attention to Nomu, whose body was still half frozen.

"Nomu," he called out. Responding to Tomura's voice, Nomu began forcing his body back through Kurogiri's portal. Everyone stared in disbelief as Nomu's right arm and leg shattered from the ice. Even so, he continued to move, as if nothing had happened.

"How is he able to move around with his body destroyed like that?" Izuku asked.

"Everyone, get back!" All Might warned, sensing something coming. Nomu's eyes began rolling around, as he found himself unable to stand. Suddenly, the remaining ice around his body broke off, as red masses began popping out from where his arm and leg broke off. Soon they took the shapes of new limbs, that darkened to match the rest of his color.

"What?! I thought his quick was shock absorption," All Might said, shocked.

"I didn't say that was all he had. This is Nomu's regeneration, its effective don't you think? After all, Nomu was modified to be able to withstand you at one hundred percent of your power. You can think of him as an invincible punching bag that fights back!" Tomura exclaimed, as Nomu was now able to stand again.

"Multiple quirks? This is bad, everyone get ready!" Zen said, getting into his stance. The others did the same as they braced for Nomu's next move.

"First, let's get back our warp gate, shall we?" Tomura said. Everyone's eyes widened, as suddenly Nomu jumped from his spot. Suddenly a massive explosion occurred where Bakugo had been. The sudden force knocked everyone back several feet as dust began covering the area. After the dust cleared, Nomu had Kurogiri in his hands where Bakugo was. Izuku grew fearful about what had happened, but then noticed Bakugo right next to him.

"Whoah! You were able to dodge that? That's amazing, Kacchan," Izuku complimented.

"What are talking about, you nerd?" Bakugo insulted, but in his mind, he wasn't able to see what had happened or how he evaded the attack. Zen was the only one who saw what happened, and looked over to a destroyed wall that had some skid marks leading up to it.

"(All Might... I was about to try and stop that guy although I'm not sure if I would have made it in time, but All Might moved first. They're both so fast...)" Zen thought, clenching his fist. The rest of them then realized All Might's absence and looked over to where Zen had been looking. After the dust cleared, All Might could be seen with his arms crossed, having taken the punch head on. It was clear he had taken some major damage, as his breathing was heavy and he struggled to stand.

"Do you not know how to hold back?" He asked, blood dripping from the side of his mouth.

"It was to rescue my comrades, so I had no choice. Besides earlier those two over there- the plain-looking one and the black-haired one," Tomura said, pointing to Izuku and Zen.

"That one was about to punch me with everything he had and could've killed me. And the other one nearly did kill me and fought evenly with Nomu. Their violent heroes just like you, who do the government's dirty work. My League of Villains is here to change to that. We will be the ones to end the corrupt and evil that you so-called heroes bring. You the "Symbol of Peace" in particular are constantly using that title and authority to justify whatever violence you wreak. It disgusts me," Tomura explained.

"What a load of rubbish. You say that, but I know what you villains are like. You will use any kind of noble excuse to justify your crimes, but in reality you just enjoy doing all of this, don't you? There's nothing you enjoy more than hurting others and doing whatever it is you please," All Might scoffed.

"Hehe... He's got me completely figure out," Tomura snickered quietly. Meanwhile Zen and the others were already preparing to fight.

"It's six against three, we can do this," Todoroki said, ice beginning from around his hand.

"These guys are tough, but if we back up All Might, we can win," Kirishima said, hardening his arms.

"No! Run away, this is far too dangerous," All Might said, walking in front of them.

"All Might, even if it's you, this is far too reckless. That Nomu guy is especially powerful. You can't take him on alone. We've proven we can handle ourselves, so let us fight with you," Zen said seriously. All Might put his fist over them.

"I know, Young Takeda. You have all done more than enough. I couldn't be prouder of your performances today, but this is my fight. Just sit back and watch what happens when a pro gives it his all!" All Might exclaimed with his usual trademark smile.

"All Might, you're still injured. Besides times almost u-" Izuku stopped himself just before he could finish. Without looking back, All Might gave him a confident thumbs up, as he turned to face the villains. Tomura looked at All Might and the students before turning to his alies.

"Nomu, Kurogiri. Kill him. I'll deal with the children," Tomura commanded, as the two villains prepared to carry out their orders.

"(I don't have much time left. A minute at most... My power is decline even faster than I thought it would...)" All Might took a deep breath, as he felt his body reaching it's limit.

"Let's clear this level and go home," Tomura said, sprinting towards the students.

"(Even so, I have stop these villains...)"

"Get ready to fight, he's coming," Zen said, bracing himself along with the others.

"I guess we're fighting after all," Kirishima said, hardening himself.

"(Because I am... the Symbol of Peace!)"

All Might felt a surge of power pass through his body. Everyone else felt this newfound pressure and instantly began sweating from the feeling. Rushing ahead, Nomu matched his movement and the two came into contact not even a second later. Their fists met each other in a violent clash. The resulting shockwave blew the others away from the sheer force. It was so great that even Nomu's arm warped and ruptured from the contact before returning to normal.

"Weren't you listening? One of his powers is shock absorption!" Tomura yelled out, landing after being blown back.

"Yeah? And so what if it is?" All Might said, before launching a barrage of punches towards Nomu, who met each attack with equal force. The clash would become so intense that the amount of wind pressure continued to increase, preventing anyone from moving.

"Argh! It's too much! I can't get anywhere near them!" Kurogiri said after attempting futile efforts to warp closer.

"Whoah! Are they really going into an all out fist fight?!" Izuku asked, as he and Bakugo struggled to prevent themselves from being pushed back.

"They're so fast!" Kirishima said, blown back by the powerful gust of wind. Just before he fell on his back, he felt Zen's gloved hand catching his back.

"T-Thanks man!" Kirishima thanked, as he attempted to regain his footing. Zen meanwhile was in complete shock at the intensity of the fight. Even his usual calm and cold expression was replaced by one of amazement and frustration.

"These two... They're on a completely different level. This sheer power is insane..." Zen said, barely managing to stay standing.

"So your quick is shock absorption. Well that's too bad since it's not nullification. That means that you have a limit, right?!" All Might said, increasing the speed and power of his punches even further to point where he was able to land several punches on the villain. The impact was so strong, the back of his body could be seen rupturing the shape of All Might's fists. In that time Nomu was able to land a devastating punch to All Might's weak spot causing him to grunt in pain. Recomposing himself immediately, he went back on the attack. All Might's increasing strength forced Nomu to be pushed back little by little.

"So you were made to fight me, huh? Well if you can take me on at one hundred percent then all I have to do is go beyond that and force you to surrender!" All Might's punches continued to completely overwhelm the villain to point where he was landing constant blow after blow with Nomu being helpless to stop it, as his body was thrashed around by the hero. After over hundred lightning fast blows were landed on the villain, All Might sent an extra powerful punch, knocking Nomu into the air, breaking through countless trees along the way. Tomura became more and more visibly irritated as All Might began overwhelming Nomu.

"A real hero will always find a way to make sure justice is served!" All Might roared out, knocking Nomu back with another powerful punch.

The two then jumped towards each other, with All Might slamming Nomu's head with his fists, and then Nomu launching a punch towards the hero, pushing him against the ground. Using all of his power, All Might blocked the punch and propelled the villain into the air. While Nomu was still in the air, All Might jumped up towards him. Grabbing the villain's arm, All Might began swinging him around through the air. With a powerful roar, All Might used all of his strength to toss Nomu down to the ground below. Nomu crashed into the ground like a meteor, completely decimating the concrete around him. Zen and the others could only look on in amazement at their teacher's display of power. All Might then landed in front of Nomu, who had still not recovered from the previous. Tensing his muscles, All Might pulled his arm back.

"Now, time for a lesson. I'm sure you've heard these words before, but I'll teach you what they really mean," All Might's quirk infused his body with more power than ever as he clenched his fist. Putting all of his power into one punch, he struck Nomu with everything he had and more.

 **"Go Beyond! Plus Ultra!"**

The sheer power from his punch proved too much even for the so-called invincible Nomu. Nomu's body tried in vain to absorb the power from All Might's punch. His body began warping and inflating as it tried to contain the power of the hero's punch. It eventually proved too much, as the power exploded all at once, sending the villain flying away at an overwhelming speed. He skyrocketed all the way to the roof of building, crashing into the lights, causing a massive explosion to ignite. The force sent ripples throughout the entire building. Everyone in each zone could feel the building shake and tremble. Nomu, who was the center of the explosion, was still unable to do anything against the force that was still pushing against him, as he was blown all the way through the building. After being sent through the building, Nomu still was helpless the stop the force that blew him away as he continued to be blown far through the sky until he completely disappeared from sight.

On top of the stairs, the students who witnessed the whole fight could only stare in awe as they tried to process what happened.

"I-I can't believe it. That brain guy got completely blown away," Ojiro said.

"Such amazing power," Shoji commented as he carried an unconscious Aizawa on his back.

"Hopefully this means that this is over at last," Momo said, letting a sigh of relief followed by a joyful nod from Uraraka and Mina.

"That's All Might for you. That's why he's the most amazing hero in the world!" Mineta cheered. All of students looked at each other, as they cheered about their victory. Back down in the Central Plaza, Zen and the others looked up at the hole in the ceiling in disbelief. As sunlight passed through the hole, the young heroes could only wonder how All Might pulled off such a performance.

"Unbelievable... Even against an opponent like that with shock absorption, he was able to send him flying like a rag doll. What kind of power does he even have?" Zen said in disbelief.

"That was like some kind of video game move. That shock absorption didn't even stand a chance. I've never seen that kind of brute strength," Kirishima said.

"With power like that... Does that mean that he attacked him so fast that he couldn't even regenerate?" Bakugo asked.

"(Grandfather, I see what you mean now. All Might is truly something else... I'm still nowhere near that level...)" Zen thought, as he clenched his fists in frustration. He then looked over to All Might, who despite being visibly tired and wounded, stood tall as his imposing figure stared down Tomura and Kurogiri. Most of his body was covered in a cloud of dust from the attack, but Zen could've sworn that he saw something coming from the hero's body. Tomura, who was incredible agitated by All Might's victory, began clawing at his neck, drawing blood.

"He cheated! He hasn't gotten weaker at all!" Tomura yelled out in anger.

"Well now, villains. Are you still looking to "clear" this level? Come at me if you can," All Might taunted, staring intently at the two. The villains took a step back in fear as they saw the intense look in All Might's blue eyes.

"It looks like All Might's got this covered. We should probably meet up with the others. We'll just be in the way here," Kirishima suggested. Todoroki and the others agreed as they began walking towards the stairs. Zen watched All Might for a little while before heading off himself. He then saw Izuku, who had a worried expression on his face.

"Midoriya, what's wrong? Aren't you coming?" Zen asked. Izuku looked at him and slowly nodded as the two began heading back, although Izuku kept his eyes trained on All Might the entire time.

"Well?! Are you going to fight or not?" All Might asked, taking a slow step forward. As he did so, Kurogiri's eyes narrowed as he carefully studied the number one hero before them.

"Damn it... I hate to leave it at this but without Nomu, we're better off going home," Tomura said, frustrated.

"Wait... Nomu's attack must have had it's effect. Look, All Might seems to be weakened. And it would appear our allies are regaining consciousness. We might still be able to do this," Kurogiri suggested. Seeing the villains from earlier slowly rising, Tomura took a look at All Might, and carefully weighed his options. All Might's lack of movement only futher added to their suspicions. In his mind, All Might was extremely nervous about the villain's silence. As it stands, All Might was barely able to remain in his powered up form, fighting another battle was out of the question. Making up his mind, Tomura nodded and Kurogiri agreed.

Without warning, the two villains made a mad dash for All Might, who struggled to maintain his composure. In his mind, he was panicking, as he had no way of fending off his adversaries.

"This is payback for Nomu!" Tomura exclaimed, reaching his hand out towards the hero. Kurogiri created a portal in the middle of his body as he ran alongside Tomura.

"(This is bad! I can't move... Where are the others? I need backup now!)" All Might internally called out, as he struggled to even form a fist. Just before they reached him, All Might noticed a figure from the corner of his eye. All Might panicked when he realized it was Izuku.

"(Young Midoriya?!)"

Zen and the others didn't notice Izuku until he was already in the air. His legs were swinging side to side after being broken from using his quirk. Izuku winced at the pain but ignored it, as he was already headed for his intended target. Readying his punch, Izuku was prepared to strike right at Kurogiri's exposed metal plate. Just before he could launch his punch, another portal appeared directly in front of his face. Not even a second later, an all too familiar hand appeared from the portal. The short distance between it and Izuku's face gave him no time to avoid the attack. Remembering what happened to Aizawa's elbow, Izuku felt his heart stop as he could feel the heat coming from the hand.

"I won't fall for that again!" Kurogiri mocked, as the two villains focused on Izuku, temporarily forgetting about All Might.

(Shit! He's too far ahead, I won't be able to reach him in time!)" Zen internally cursed himself, as he powered up his legs with his shockwaves. Knowing all too well that he wouldn't be able to make it in time, he still resolved to go anyway. Just before he was about to launch himself towards his classmate, a gunshot rang out from a good distance away.

At that moment, Tomura's hand was hit by a rapid bullet, causing him to miss Izuku, as he yelled out in pain.

"They're here!" All Might smiled in relief as he and everyone looked above the stairs. Standing by the students was Snipe, the one who fired the shot. Aiming his gun below, he accurately shot villain after villain. Behind him, numerous footsteps could be heard approaching

"Sorry for taking so long, everybody. I gathered everyone who was immediately available," Nezu's voice called out. The students began cheering as they saw who had returned.

"Iida!" Uraraka called out, tearing up.

"Class 1-A's representative is back! Forgive me for taking so long, but I've brought reinforcements!" Iida exclaimed, as countless figures followed after him. Behind him stood Nezu, who sat on Vlad's shoulder, as well as most of the heroes from U.A. including Present Mic and Midnight. The villains below instantly got nervous from the sight of so many pro heroes, but seeing no other option, they began rushing up the stairs.

Clicking his tongue, Present Mic slowly walked to the edge of stairs where he took a deep breath. Using his quirk, he gave a mighty yell that was amplified into a powerful sound wave, knocking out most of the villains. The next to make their move was Ectoplasm. Opening his mouth, a large cloud of smoke divided up into the air. They then materialized into doubles of the black and yellow hero. Rushing down the stairs, they began effortlessly overwhelming the villains.

"Everyone, split up and help the students!" Nezu ordered, as the heroes began mobilizing towards the various different areas around the building. With the arrival of the heroes, the fighting intensified in each zone, with countless explosions going off. Seeing the situation turning against him, Tomura looked over to Kurogiri, as he tended to his bleeding hand.

"Damn, this sucks. Now that all the pros are here, I guess it's game over. Kurogiri, let's head home and try again la-" Tomura fell to the ground in pain as multiple bullets pierced his legs and sides. Rolling around in pain, as blood pooled around him, Tomura was saved by Kurogiri, who formed a wall of darkness around him. Kurogiri was about to warp the two of them away before suddenly he felt a powerful force pulling him in. Looking over his shoulder, Kurogiri was shocked to see Thirteen, who should have been out of commission.

 **"Black Hole!"**

Feeling himself being pulled in, Kurogiri couldn't counter the attack while he was defending Tomura. Using the rest of his strength, he quickly started teleporting himself and Tomura before he could be caught. As he was being sent through the warp gate, Tomura glared at All Might, who stood by watching.

"I might have failed this time, but I haven't given up yet! I won't stop until I've killed you, All Might!" Tomura's words echoed as he was fully sent through the portal, both him and Kurogiri disappearing from sight. Izuku, who was still lying on the ground, let out a sigh of relief. Kirishima rushed over to Izuku to check up on him, but stopped once a large wall was suddenly erected from the ground. Cemetoss informed the students to move to safer area while the pro heroes cleaned up. Kirishima reluctantly nodded while Zen appeared lost in his thoughts as he stared at the wall that covered All Might. Letting out a sigh, he decided to meet up with the others.

With the retreat of their leaders, all of the remaining villains were quickly dispatched of by the heroes. The remaining students that were still in the disaster zones were promptly rescued as well. Zen and the other students regrouped outside where countless police officers surrounded the area.

"I-I can't believe that happened. I'm still shaking from it all," Mina said.

"Yeah, but think about it. This was our first time taking on villains, and we won! We even got to see All Might in action," Kirishima said, excitedly.

"Yeah, but Mr. Aizawa and Thirteen got really hurt. I hope they get better soon..." Uraraka said, worriedly.

"I'm sure they'll be fine. I mean you saw how tough they were, right? I'm sure they'll be better in no time," Ojiro reassured.

"And speaking of tough, you guys should've seen Todoroki. When we got sent to landslide zone, he took out all those villains by himself," Toru said, her gloves motioning to them.

"(Wait, she was there? I didn't even notice...)" Todoroki thought, shocked.

"Yeah, but Takeda sure was amazing too. He took down those really strong villains all by himself. He even took on that beak guy really well too," Sero complimented. The others agreed, but as they looked around, they noticed Zen wasn't paying attention to their conversation. He was carefully staring at the line of villains that the police were rounding up.

"(He's not here either, well I guess that's to be expected)" Zen thought, shaking his head. He then turned his attention to Uraraka, who was talking to one of the investigators.

"Excuse me, but is Deku going to be okay?" the girl asked, worried about her friend. The investigator known as Naomasa looked at her confused until he realized who she was referring to.

"Oh, you mean Midoriya. Don't worry, he was sent back to U.A along with All Might to get his injuries treated. It's nothing serious, he'll be better in no time," the older man explained much to the relief of the gravity girl. As they talked about Izuku, Zen couldn't help but think back to Izuku's actions before. The images of Izuku rushing in without thinking multiple times continuously played through his head. He also noticed that the boy was particularly reckless whenever All Might was involved. Many questions popped up in his mind, but he set them aside once everyone was ordered to return to U.A. Before he left, he took one last look at the U.S.J. With the images of those three villains burned into his mind, he was filled with a sense of worry.

O-O

In the quiet bar that served as the base for the League of Villains, Kurogiri's warp gate appeared in the middle of the room. Appearing from it was Tomura, who fell onto the ground. He let out a pained groan, as blood continued to seep from his wounds. As if reacting to his voice, a TV screen turned on beside them. Although no image could be seen, steady breathing could be heard in the background.

"You're back. I take it from your condition that the mission did not go as planned," a calm voice spoke.

"No! All Might hasn't gotten any weaker at all! Even Nomu didn't stand a chance against him," Tomura yelled out in a mixture of pain and anger, as he clutched his gunshot wounds.

"So Nomu was defeated? Where is he now?" the voice asked.

"He was sent flying back All Might's attack. Since I don't know his exact location, I won't be able to retrieve him," Kurogiri stated.

"I see... so we lost both Nomu and all the allies you worked to recruit. For now, get some rest. Plan our next move, and increase our numbers. There's always next time," the voice ordered much to Tomura's frustration.

"All Might wasn't the only problem. A plain looking kid got in our way too. His power was a lot like All Might's. That makes me even angrier just thinking about it!" Tomura said angrily.

"Oh? Interesting. Perhaps he's someone to keep an eye on," the man said, intrigued.

"He wasn't the only child of note. There was another one. He was in league of his own. Somehow he was able to even take on Nomu for a good amount of time," Kurogiri stated much to the man's interest.

"Oh? Really now?"

"Yes, his quirk... he was to create shockwaves. He also used the Lariat technique. Master, you don't think..." Kurogiri said.

"Hmm... That's quite interesting. I wouldn't jump to conclusions just yet. It's still too early to say. For now, lay low and carefully survey the situation. Keep an eye on those two children as well," the voice ordered. The two nodded as the screen turned off.

At the location where the man was contacting them from, a dark figure took a seat, as he pondered the new information.

"All Might, Full Tremor... If true, this could prove to be very interesting," the man said in an amused tone, as he looked back. Behind him were countless Nomu's, all of which were motionless.

"Well then, let's see how this all plays out,"

O-O

As the sun began to set, filling the sky with a warm orange glow, Zen walked out of the font door of U.A. By the time everyone was transported back to the school, the day was nearly over. After getting any injuries healed, everyone was allowed to return home. Zen, now back in his school uniform, was quietly beginning to walk home. Just as he reached the front gate, he heard several voices calling out to him.

"Takeda!" Momo called out. Turning around, he saw Momo together with Ojiro, Jiro, and Kaminari.

"What is it?" Zen asked.

"Well, it's just that we wanted to thank you," Kaminari said with a smile.

"Thank me? For what?" Zen asked.

"What do you mean what? For saving us, of course," Jiro said.

"If it wasn't for you, we don't even know what would've happened to us. You really helped us out there," Ojiro said. Zen simply turned around and let out a sigh.

"If you want to thank someone, thank All Might and the other heroes. I barely did anything," Zen said as he began to walk away.

"What do you mean? You were the one who saved us from those villains. You even held off those really strong guys until All Might came. You were amazing out there, you know," Kaminari complimented, causing Zen to stop.

"Amazing? You're joking, right? I was completely helpless against those villains. I wasn't even able to faze that beak guy. If All Might hadn't shown up then chances are both Midoriya and I would be seriously injured right now," Zen said, his voice holding a bit of frustration.

"Maybe, but still it would've been so much worse if you hadn't been there. We just wanted to thank you, you know," Jiro said, slightly irritated.

"I don't deserve to be thanked when I couldn't do anything. I was weak and I was helpless against those villains, just like back then..." Zen said, appearing to be in deep thought.

"Takeda?" Momo called out in worried tone.

"Never mind. You guys should go and thank the other heroes. I've got to get going," Zen said, continuing to walk away. His classmates were confused by his sudden attitude and looked each other with worried and questioning looks. Momo couldn't help but be worried about the hurt look on his face as she watched him walk further and further away.

As Zen home, the sound of cars passing by filled the area and street lights began to light up. He carefully looked at his hand, and countless images of All Might fighting Nomu kept replaying through his head. Tightly closing his fist, he sighed.

"Why am I still so weak...?," Zen silently said to himself.

"I haven't given up yet. I will get stronger, no matter what..."

 **And there we go. All Might is the hero we all need in our lives. The original plan was to have this chapter out on New Years but stuff happened so yeah... Anyway, thanks again for reading and I'll see you guys on the next chapter of Promises of a Hero.**


	6. Pained Resolve

**Welcome back to another chapter! Sorry for the delay, but now that college classes are back and they are wasting no time in taking away all my time and energy. Probably means the updates will be a little delayed, but I refuse to give up! Well anyway sit back, and enjoy chapter 6!**

Chapter 6: Pained Resolve

A few days after the incident at the U.S.J, the students at U.A had finally returned to class. After the incident, no one had heard from the villains who had escaped, and despite heavy searches conducted by the pro heroes, it seemed like they had just dropped off the map as mysteriously as they first appeared. As everyone awaited for their teacher to arrive, the class was as loud and talkative as usual, as if nothing had happened. Their memories of that day however, were still burned into their minds, as it was their first encounter with villains in that kind of situation. No one was more haunted by the memory than Zen, who cursed himself for how useless he was during the battle. He still contemplated that, as he sat with a face that looked to be in deep thought.

"Takeda, are you feeling alright?" Momo asked in a concerned tone.

"Hm? Oh I was just thinking about something, thats all," Zen said.

"Are you sure? It just seemed like you've had a lot on your mind since the U.S.J," Momo said, recalling his attitude a few days back.

"Don't worry about it. It's nothing," Zen replied. Momo wasn't convinced and just before she could press on, the door opened to reveal a surprising person. Walking to the front of class was a heavily bandaged up Aizawa, who no one was expecting to arrive.

"M-Mr. Aizawa?! What are you doing here?!" Izuku asked, shocked.

"What? I'm not injured so bad that I can't even come to class. Besides there's important news I need to tell you," he replied, his voice somewhat blocked by the bandages over his face.

"Important news? What is it?" Iida asked.

"I know you have all just gone through a lot at the U.S.J and I'm proud of how well you handled that. Now in saying that, I'm here to tell you that your battle isn't over," Aizawa said in a serious tone. Everyone suddenly got nervous at his words, as they still weren't sure about what he meant.

"The Sports Festival is coming up soon. I hope you all intend to train hard because you're going to need it," Aizawa explained. After a moment of silence to process the news, the room suddenly erupted into a loud explosion as every started to get pumped up. Everyone began to cheer as they felt excited in anticipation of a chance to show off what they could do.

"The Sports Festival, huh?" Zen said, appearing interested in the news.

"Hm, if we can perform well in this, we could be scouted by top hero agencies. This is our first chance to make a showing to the pros and the rest of the world," Momo explained.

"That's right. It's true that if you can prove your strength and skill then it is likely that a pro hero agency will keep an eye on you. This will also be important when you intern with pros later on. Most importantly though is that this is your first real debut as heroes. The festival will start in two weeks, train hard and do your best, plus ultra," Aizawa said, leaving everyone feeling pressured yet excited for the coming weeks.

O-O

After class ended, everyone dispersed for lunch with Zen going to his usual spot on the roof. Leaning on railing, he quietly looked over the campus, feeling the wind softly blow through his body. Beside him was his empty eaten lunch containers. Letting out a satisfied sigh, he allowed the silence to take over, as he began thinking of the upcoming Sports Festival. Just then he was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the door behind him creak open. Looking back, he saw Izuku peering through, looking side to side. Seeing Zen, he fully opened the door and began walking towards him.

"Oh Takeda, so this is where you go during lunch each day," Izuku said.

"Midoriya? What are you doing here?" Zen asked, not used to having company during that time of the day.

"I've been looking for you. You see... theres been something I've been wanting to say to you," Izuku said nervously. Zen raised his brow, as he watch Izuku fidget from side to side.

"I just wanted to say thank you so much for helping me!" Izuku blurted, bowing to him.

"Helping you? What are you talking about?" Zen asked.

"At the U.S.J... you saved me twice. I just wanted to thank you for that," Izuku said, smiling. Sighing, Zen turned away from him to look over the railing.

"Look. I didn't do anything. I wasn't even able to take on those villains. If thats all you have to say to I suggest you go and thank All Might," Zen replied coldly.

"Well... theres actually one more thing I wanted to say to you," Izuku said. Turning around, Zen saw a sudden look of resolve on Izuku's face.

"I know you're really strong, the U.S.J was proof of that. But... In the Sports Festival, I won't lose to you. I know that you're way stronger than me and that I'm sure you have a really good reason for becoming a hero, but so do I. So I'm asking you not hold anything back!" Izuku exclaimed fiercely. Zen's eyes widened. He wasn't so surprised by Izuku's words, but rather by the appearance of figure behind the boy. A familiar shadow materialized behind the boy, except this time it's appearance looked a bit more solid. It resembled a tall, muscular figure with short spiked hair similar to Zen's. It's body was still a dark color with it's other features impossible to make out. Zen, however, felt a familiar feeling from the shadow, as if he knew what it was. He couldn't help but feel nervous as the figure perfectly matched Izuku's posture. Rubbing his eyes, the shadow soon faded away, as he reopened his eyes. Although he still felt uneasy about the figure, Zen decided to keep his worries to himself after he saw Izuku's determined look.

"Is that so? Well then I look forward to it," Zen said, closing his eyes as he tried to recompose himself.

"W-Wait. You do?" Izuku asked, surprised by the response he received.

"Yeah. Maybe you have what I'm looking for," Zen said quietly.

"What was that?" Izuku asked. Zen shook his head and walked past the green haired boy.

"It's nothing. Just keep working hard on controlling that quirk. I want to see just what you can do," Zen said before leaving from the roof, leaving behind a confused Izuku. Zen leaned behind the door for a while, as he felt uneasiness pass through him again.

"(What was that thing... It can't be his quirk, and it's not some kind of trick... I feel like I've seen it before but...)" Shaking his head, Zen began making his way down the stairs, the image of the shadow constantly burned into the back of his head.

O-O

Later in the day, the sound of the bell rang out through the building, signaling then end of the day.

"All right everyone, time to go. Remember what I said about the Sports Festival. Work hard and give it your all," Aizawa said before crawling into his sleeping bag. Just as Zen grabbed his backpack, he noticed some kind of commotion coming from the front door. Kirishima and Kaminari were both having trouble getting through the door due to a massive mob that was blocking the outside. There were countless students, all of whom appeared to be asking question after question about the recent events at the U.S.J.

"What was it like to see real villains? Was it scary?"

"What was it like to see All Might in action?"

"Did you guys get to fight those guys?"

The barrage of questions continued with everyone in Class 1-A struggling to answer them all. Just then all of them were stopped when they heard a smug chuckle coming from behind the crowd. Clearing the way, the person the laugh originated from revealed himself. A handsome young man with slick blond hair which was parted to his left, revealed himself. His pale blue eyes did nothing to hide the arrogance within them as he smiled sarcastically at the class.

"So this is the class that defeated the villains at the U.S.J, huh? I have to say you guys don't look all that impressive," he said smugly.

"What the hell was that?!" Bakugo asked angrily, his veins popping out his head.

"Monoma, cut it out," Kendo scolded.

"I'm just saying that you guys shouldn't get a big head just because you've fought a few villains. I'm sure that anyway one else here would've been able to do much better," he taunted. Just as some were about to reply back, they stopped as they noticed Zen calmly leaving the class, not even batting an eye as he passed the blond boy.

"Hey now, are you angry? I was just stating some facts, theres no need for you to storm off," he continued taunting, only to see that his insults had no effect on the black haired boy.

"Hm? What was that? I honestly didn't even notice you talking," Zen said, preparing to leave. The blond boy's eye twitched in annoyance at Zen's nonchalant reaction to his taunts.

"You're Takeda, aren't you? I heard about there being some arrogant guy who everyone says is so strong just because he took on a few villains," he said smugly.

"Arrogant? I'm not the guy trying to pick a fight to satisfy his own insecurity. Who cares about all that stuff? If you think you're so strong, prove it later instead of running that mouth of yours. Now if you don't mind, I need to go home," Zen replied coldly before continuing to leave. Monoma was still smiling, but on the inside he felt greatly agiated by Zen, as he grinned his teeth through his smile.

"Tch, fine. We'll see if you're still saying that in two weeks. Make sure not to embarrass everyone at Sports Festival, alright? If you perform too poorly, we'll all look bad in front of everybody," Monoma hollered out. He seemed proud of himself for his comment, but paused when he saw Zen giving him a thumbs up without even looking back. Annoyed even further, Monoma prepared to hurl another insult only to be instantly knocked out by Kendo.

"Sorry about him. Don't listen to anything he says," Kendo apologized before dragging off Monoma. Everyone in Class 1-A was surprised by what had just happened, but after a while they laughed it off before leaving.

About an hour later, the sun began to set with it's warm orange rays passing through the windows into the classroom. The room also got a little darker as several gray clouds began covering the sky. As part of their duties as class reps, Iida and Momo remained in the class to clean up. Aizawa was still huddled up in a corner, lightly snoring from within his sleeping bag. Just as they finished, Momo grabbed her bag and prepared to leave.

"Alright, I'll be heading home now. Hm?" Just as she turned to leave, she noticed something lying on top of the desk next to her. Realizing that it was Zen's desk, she slowly walked over to it to see that it was a black notebook. Picking it up, she saw the name "Takeda" written on the front.

"Hm? What's that you got there?" Iida asked, as he also prepared to leave.

"It looks like Takeda left his notebook behind. What should we do with it?" Momo asked.

"Just go and bring it him," Aizawa said, appearing between the two, shocking them both in the process.

"The thing is, by now he's probably already home. Besides we don't know where he lives," Iida explained. Pulling out his phone from his sleeping bag, Aizawa turned on the screen and grabbed a piece of paper. Quickly writing down an address, he handed it to Iida.

"Here's his address. Go and return it to him because I'm not doing it," Aizawa said lazily before zipping back up into his sleeping bag.

"Should I go and give it him? It'll probably be faster if I do it," Iida suggested. Momo grabbed the sheet from his hand and took a look at it.

"No, I can handle it. I'm the one who sits next to him anyway so it's my responsibility," Momo said, before tucking the notebook into her bag. Nodding, Iida proceeded to leave first. Momo carefully looked at the address as she made her way outside.

"Hm, I wonder what it's like at Takeda's place," Momo wondered as she exited the building. Looking up, she noticed many rainclouds beginning to gather as the sky began turning a dark gray. Imputing the address into her phone, she was surprised by how far he lived away. Sighing, she decided to quickly find her way to the train station before it would start raining.

O-O

Around half an hour later, Momo stepped outside of the train station and carefully surveyed the neighborhood around her.

"The address should be around here..." Momo said to herself before continuing to walk down the road. The street was surrounded by a very peaceful and quiet looking neighborhood. She saw several people walking along the sidewalk, who waved and smiled at her. Smiling, she waved back before she noticed an elderly woman walking by her.

"Um, excuse me. Can you please help me find this address?" Momo asked, showing her the piece of paper. Adjusting her glasses, she stared at the address for a few seconds before perking up.

"Oh! This the Takeda's residence. Just go down the street a little more, and it will be the big one on the right," she explained, pointing to down the road. Momo bowed and thanked before walking further down the road. As she carefully examined each of the houses, she didn't notice that several eyes were carefully trained on her. Soon, several figures began closing in on her from every side. Before she knew it, Momo found herself completely surrounded on all sides by several boys around her age. She noticed that each of the boys had on a black school uniform indicating they were all from the area. Several of them had smug faces and began cracking their fists.

"Well now, aren't you a pretty one? Never seen you around here before," a tall boy with short brown hair said, as he eyed Momo up and down.

"You aren't here to cause trouble are you? We'll let you know that this is our turf and that no one messes around here on our watch," a larger boy said, slamming his fists together. Momo was wary of the group in front of her. She was tempted to form a weapon with her quirk, but decided to opt for talking first.

"First of all, I'm not sure what you are talking about. I'm merely here to look for a classmate of mine," she explained.

"Classmate?" the brown haired boy asked. Taking a closer look at her uniform, he was struck with a terrifying realization. A smaller boy with sharp, serrated teeth to his left also came to the same conclusion and began sweating as he slowly started speaking.

"H-Hey... That uniform... isn't that U.A's?" the smaller boy asked in shaking tone.

"U.A? Then that means you're here for..." the brown haired boy felt his palms getting sweaty and his heartbeat start to speed up.

"I'm here for Zen Takeda. You wouldn't happen to know where he lives do you?" she asked calmly. Her eyes widened a second later when all of the boys dropped to their knees and began panicking.

"W-We're so sorry! Please forgive us!" the larger boy cried out.

"It's all of our faults for jumping the gun! We didn't know that you were looking for the boss!" the sharp-toothed boy apologized, slamming his head into the hard sidewalk.

"Boss?" Momo asked, utterly thrown off her guard by their sudden change in attitudes.

"He lives just over there! Please don't tell him we bothered you," the brown haired boy begged as he pointed to the house belonging to Zen.

"U-Um, okay... Thank you so much," Momo awkwardly said, as she walked away from the boys, who scrambled off in a hurry.

"(What was that all about?)" Momo thought, as she finally reached her destination. The house stood out from the rest of the neighborhood in that it was slightly larger than the others (although not nearly as large as her own). It was a tall two story house with a neatly kept lawn and large revealing windows. In front of the mailbox read the character "Takeda". The thing that stood out the most to her was a section of the house that was located on the right side. It looked like some kind of large square corridor of the house that extended outwards to the right. There were no windows or doors on that side and it looked to be as large as half of the rest of the house with it's walls being covered with a thick looking metal.

Before she could continue wondering about it, she heard a loud thundering noise from above, followed by little droplets of water that hit her head. The rain quickly began picking up until it started pouring down in a matter of seconds. Quickly forming an umbrella with her quirk, she rushed towards the front door and rang the doorbell. A few seconds later, she heard several light footsteps approaching the door followed by the sound of the door unlocking. The door opened to reveal Zen, who was surprised to see her. He was currently wearing a black t-shirt with a white collar with black and white shorts.

"Yaoyorozu? What are you doing here?" Zen asked.

"You left your notebook in class, so I came to return it to you," Momo explained, as she tried to stay under her umbrella. Looking up, Zen watched as the rain continued to pour down.

"You should come in. It wouldn't be a good idea to go home like this," Zen offered as he opened the door wider for her. Walking inside, she put away her umbrella before following Zen further inside. As soon as she stepped in, her nose was filled by an alluring aroma. She immediately felt her mouth watering from the delectable smell of the unknown food. She eventually was led to the living room where she took off her school jacket and placed it on the couch. Taking a seat on the coach, she looked around at the spacious room around her. In front of her was a large flat screen TV with large glass cabinets on both sides of it. Inside were various picture frames and items that were too far away for her to make out. The rest of the room was very neat and clean with nothing out of place.

"You came all this way to bring me my notebook? You could've just given it to me tomorrow in class. How did you find where I live anyway?" Zen asked.

"Mr. Aizawa gave me your address. Oh, right. Here's your notebook," Momo said, pulling out the small black notebook from her bag. Grabbing it, he took a look at it before placing it down on the table.

"Thank you, sorry for all the trouble. I'll get you some tea. Is ginger green tea fine with you?" Zen asked, as he walked into the kitchen.

"Yeah that would be great, thank you," Momo said before allowing her eyes to continue wandering the room. Seeing a picture frame on top of cabinet, she squinted to get a better look, but just before she could see it, Zen came back in with a cup and a teapot. Placing the cup in front of her, he carefully poured out the steaming hot liquid into it. Carefully picking up the cup, she brought it to her lips. As soon as the warm liquid flowed into her mouth, her eyes widened instantly.

"Sorry if it's not to your taste, I don't really know what other people like," Zen said before taking a sip himself.

"This is fantastic!" Momo blurted out, catching Zen off guard which nearly made him spill his drink. She continued to take sip after sip as she felt a comforting warmth pass through her body.

"What brand is this? I absolutely have to know so I can go buy this myself," Momo said before Zen poured her another cup.

"It's not store bought. I brewed it myself," Zen said.

"Really? Well that is amazing. It tastes great and now I feel so much more relaxed, Momo said, letting out a satisfied sigh.

"That's good to hear. Well if you need anything, I'll be in the kitchen," Zen said before leaving the room. A few seconds later, Momo heard several sounds coming from the kitchen. She could hear the loud cutting of a knife followed by the light searing of a flames. Seconds later, Momo could once again smell the tantalizing scent of food that she smelled earlier. As she waited, she got up and began walking around the room. She walked over to the picture frames she saw before and carefully looked at them. There were several frames each holding pictures of multiple people. In the first one, she saw a picture of of a young four year old Zen. His face held a massive smile as he was lifted up in the arms of a man with short slicked black hair and glasses. Beside them was a youthful looking young woman with short red hair and onyx eyes like Zen's. Her arm was wrapped around another teenage girl who had long red hair and glasses. The four of them were posed together in front of what seemed to be a school.

"(This must be Takeda's family,)" Momo thought as she moved onto the next picture. The next one was of a slightly older and taller Zen, maybe around seven to eight years old. He was wearing a white and grey jacket and possessed the same goofy smile on his face. His head wrapped around the arms of the same girl from the previous picture. Her hair was tied into a pony tail this time and she appeared to be dressed in a black school uniform. As she had him in a headlock, one of her hands was ruffling his spiky black hair while the other appeared to be holding some kind of certificate or diploma.

"(He looks so happy in all these pictures...)" Momo thought to herself. She couldn't help but smile to herself as she saw how happy they were in each picture. Walking over to the next picture, Momo's eyes widened as she saw who was in it. This time she saw a nine year old Zen standing beside what appeared to be a hero. The man was tall and muscular with his features clearly visible through his hero suit. It consisted of a full body suit that went all the way to his neck. It was largely yellow in the center with a black outline throughout his body. He had the large white letters FT on each shoulder as well as white gloves with yellow stripes on them. He wore black boots with a yellow underside and on his back was a long white cape. The man possessed a slightly elderly face which was slightly obscured by black and white mask which covered around his onyx colored eyes. He also possessed short spiked grey hair which resembled Zen's. The two had nearly identical goofy grins on their face as the older man had a hand on Zen's shoulder while they stood in front of several mountains in the background.

"(Who is this hero? Why does he seem so familiar...?)" Before Momo could continue to ponder, she heard the front door click open followed by the sound of several light footsteps.

"Zen, I'm home!" a voice hollered out. Entering the living room, Hina was surprised to see Momo there.

"Oh! I didn't realize we had a guest," Hina said, as she took off her doctor's coat.

"Hello, I'm Momo Yaoyorozu from Takeda's class. I'm sorry for intruding, but I just came to bring Takeda something he left," Momo said politely as she bowed to her.

"I see, thank you so much for going through all that trouble. I'm Hina by the way, Zen's sister," Hina said, bowing back.

"Takeda's sister?" Momo said, surprised. She eyed the red haired woman up and down and was unable to see the resemblance.

"Hehe, I know what you mean. I take a lot more after our mother in that department. Oh and you can just call me Hina," Hina said, chuckling at her reaction.

"Sis, dinner's ready!" Zen called out.

"Do you want to join us for dinner, Momo? With the rain as it is, it's probably not safe to drive you home just yet," Hina said, looking through the curtains to see that the rain had intensified since earlier.

"Well, I don't think I should intrude..." Momo said before feeling her stomach rumbling from the smell of the food. Letting out a light laugh, Hina quickly pushed Momo towards the kitchen.

"No, no! It's fine! We'd love to have you here. Come on, I think you'll really enjoy the food," Hina said, playfully pushing the black haired girl along. Sitting her down on the dining table, Hina took a seat across from her, as the two awaited their food. Zen walked over to the two of them with a plate in each hand.

"I didn't think anyone was coming over so I'm sorry if this isn't that good," Zen said, as he placed the plates down. On each there was a large cut of grilled fish topped with a reddish seasoning. Beside it was a bed of fried rice filled with eggs, shrimp, peas, and pork. Set in the middle was another teapot filled with the same tea as before. The warm steam from the food made it's way up to Momo's nose which instantly detected the savory aroma.

"Thank you for the meal," Momo and Hina said at the same time, as the two simultaneously picked up their spoons. Scooping up a spoonful of rice, Momo slowly bit down. As soon as her taste buds processed the food, Momo's eyes widened.

"This is amazing!" Momo exclaimed, looking at the food before her. Unable to get enough, Momo continued to mow through the food, due to both the exquisite taste, as well as having not yet eaten.

"I see, I'm glad you like it. I was worried that it wouldn't suit your tastes," Zen said, as he walked over to wash his hands in the sink.

"Yeah, Zen is quite the cook, isn't he?" Hina said happily, as she watched Momo enjoy her meal.

"Yes, I haven't had food this exquisite before! All the personal chefs at the mansion don't even come close to this!" Momo said, as she continued to eat her food with stars in her eyes.

"Personal chefs? Mansion? How rich are you?" Hina asked, surprised.

"Well if you two need anything, I'll be in the training room," Zen said, as he started to leave the room.

"You're not going to stay and eat?" Hina asked.

"I already ate earlier. Just leave the dishes to me when you're done," Zen said before leaving. As the two continued to eat, Hina couldn't help but stare at the girl before her.

"You know, Momo. I just noticed how beautiful you are," Hina said, smiling. Getting embarrassed by her sudden words, Momo quickly put her hands out.

"P-Please stop, you're embarrassing me. You're much more attractive than I am," Momo said embarrassingly. Hina chuckled at her reaction.

"Oh come on. I can't even get myself a date, but I'm sure the boys are all over you," Hina complimented.

"Unfortunately..." Momo said, as her mind thought back to a certain perverted grape haired boy.

"Speaking of boys, I wanted to ask... What is going on with that group of guys hanging around here?" Momo asked, remembering her odd encounter with the boys from before.

"Oh them. Well a while back, they were a bunch of bullies from Zen's school who liked to pick on others. One day, they crossed Zen, and let's just say that after a quick... disciplining session, they were set straight. Now they go around making sure no trouble makers cause anything in the area. In fact, they are so afraid of Zen, that they even call him boss, but he hates that though," Hina said, chuckling.

"Wow, I knew something was strange, but I wasn't expecting that..." Momo said, surprised.

"Hehe, so anyway how is my brother doing at U.A. He's not much of a talker, so I've been curious," Hina asked, her interest showing from her brown eyes through her glasses.

"Well, honestly Takeda's always been excelling at everything. Whether it's combat or classwork, he always seems to be far above everyone else," Momo explained.

"I see. I'm not really worried about him when it comes to all that. I'm honestly more worried about his personality and how he's getting along with everybody," Hina said.

"Well... he usually keeps to himself. Although it does feel like he always has a lot on his mind," Momo said.

"Yep, that's Zen, alright. He never changes although lately it seems like he's been even more distant and focused," Hina said. Momo thought back to Zen's reaction right after the U.S.J incident. The pained look on his face was etched into the back of her head as she listened to Hina's words.

"Yes... he's been a bit... different ever since what happened at the U.S.J..." Momo said, worriedly.

"Yeah, I had a feeling that had something to do with it. He won't tell me everything that went on over there, so I'm not sure what he's been thinking. Can you explain what exactly happened over there?" Hina asked. Nodding, Momo went on to explain everything that occurred several days. She recalled everything that happened from the sudden appearance of the villains to her own fight against them, to Zen's performance against the villains, and even All Might's face off against Nomu. She then went on to explain Zen's change in attitude after the battle had ended. After the creation girl finished, Hina sighed.

"So that's what this is about..." Hina said.

"Do you know why he's been like this?" Momo asked in a concerned tone.

"Yeah, I have a pretty good idea. Seeing All Might fight so well against an enemy that he himself couldn't beat probably has shaken his confidence," Hina said.

"What? He fought so hard though... Besides it's not really fair to compare yourself to All Might like that. Surely he can't be that hard on himself," Momo said.

"I'm afraid he is... Despite what many people think, he's not at all arrogant about his abilities. In fact no one has a lower opinion of him than himself. He often views himself as too weak and a lot of times he overestimates others because he thinks he's below them," Hina explained.

 _"I don't deserve to be thanked when I couldn't do anything. I was weak and I was helpless..."_ Zen's words replayed in Momo's head, as she was unable to forget the amount of pain in his voice.

"I don't understand why that is... He's so strong, so how he can think so lowly of himself?" Momo asked.

"That's just how he is. It's definitely not a healthy train of thought, but on the other hand, it's what helps push him to get stronger," Hina said, taking a sip of her tea.

"I see... If only I had that kind of resolve to match my mother..." Momo said, her eyes lowering.

"Your mother? Is she a hero?" Hina asked, intrigued.

"Yes, she's an amazing pro hero. I've looked up to her my whole life. She's the one I want to match one day," Momo said, determined.

"Your mother's a hero, huh? I'm sure Zen feels the same way as you about that," Hina said. Momo then remembered the picture of the hero with Zen that she saw earlier.

"That's right. I saw a photo of Takeda together with an elderly hero. Who was that?" Momo asked. Hearing her question, a sorrowful yet warm smile appeared on Hina's face.

"Oh, you saw that. That was our grandfather, Takeo Takigawa or I suppose everyone else knew him as Full Tremor," Hina said. Momo nearly spit up her drink as she heard Hina's words. She stared at the older girl in disbelief while Hina gave her a questioning look.

"What's with that face? Did I say something weird?" Hina asked, laughing a little.

"F-Full Tremor?! The Quake Hero, Full Tremor?!" Momo asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, that's him. Is it really that big of a deal?" Hina said nonchalantly as she continued to eat.

"Y-Yes, it is! You mean that your grandfather is the Full Tremor? The legendary pro hero who was famous even before All Might came, and for the longest time was the number two hero!" Momo said, still shocked.

"Hm... I guess he was pretty famous when you think about it. I suppose since we were always around him so much, it didn't really feel that way," Hina said, letting out a little laugh.

"It all makes sense now... Takeda's quirk does resemble Full Tremor's. I remember my mother also talked about him in the past..." Momo said, surprised by the revelation.

"Yeah, Zen certainly took a lot after him. That quirk was passed on to him from our mother's side. It's a special family quirk. There aren't a lot like it out there, you know," Hina remarked.

"Does that mean you possess the same quirk as Takeda then?" Momo asked curiously.

"Well... more or less. I certainly don't have to skill my brother has when it comes to using his power, but I can emit earthquake-like waves from the right side of my body," Hina explained, as she placed the empty cup in front of her. Putting her hand close to the cup, her hand glowed the same soft white as Zen's. Momo noticed the cup began to be slowly pushed away on it's own. It was steadily being repelled away from Hina's body with the visible ripples flowing through the liquid on the inside.

"Of course, what I can do it with this power is very limited since I'm not really a fighter. My other power is the one that really helps me out," Hina said.

"Other power?" Momo asked, not understanding what she meant.

"Well you see, it's true that the quirk I have is like my mother's and Zen's, but my quirk is actually a combination of both of our parent's. I said that the right side of my body emits shockwaves, but as for the left side..." Hina explained. Picking up her fork, she pointed it directly at her left hand. Lightly pricking her finger, she winced as she drew a bit of blood. Suddenly her hand glowed a bright and soft light blue color. Momo's eyes widened as she saw red-haired woman's cut begin to close up. Seconds later, the wound completely healed, leaving not a single trace of the injury.

"And that is how my quirk, Dual Wave, works," Hina explained, showing Momo her finger.

 **(Narrator's Voice)- Hina Takeda! Age- 27, Quirk- Dual Wave. Her quick is a mighty combination of both power and recovery! The right side of her body emits shockwaves similar to that of an earthquake. Although not nearly as powerful or skilled as her brother's, it can still pack a real punch if she gets serious. The left side of her body emits a different type of wave that naturally boosts recovery functions. Anyone reached by the waves instantly become enveloped by the effects which rapidly heals physical wounds. It can even be used on herself if needed, however it uses her up her own stamina to heal others, so she gets exhausted the more she uses it!"**

"What an amazing power! Both strength and recovery, I'm sure you'd be an amazing hero," Momo said.

"No, no. I'm not like my brother. Compared to Zen, I'm nowhere near as strong as he is. I don't really have the drive that it takes to master this power or to fight against villains," Hina said, putting her hands up.

"I see. Forgive me for intruding. You said that your recovery power helps you more, right?" Momo asked.

"Yeah, that's right. You see, I work as a doctor over at the hospital down in Kamino, so this quirk really helps out with that. I may not be a mighty hero, but like my brother, I want to help others just in my own way. This way when he becomes a hero, I will be there to to not only help those he saves, but also so I can be by his side if he ever gets hurt," Hina said, smiling.

"I see... You're really amazing. You really care about helping others, as well Takeda. I see heroism runs in the family," Momo said, smiling.

"No, it just comes with being a doctor and sister. Besides, after seeing how hard Zen was put through the ringer by the old man, I knew full well that being a hero was not for me," Hina said, laughing a little.

"Oh? What was it like training with him?" Momo asked.

"Well, personally I was only there for healing purposes. You would have to ask Zen about just how tough it really was. Although, despite how tough it was, Zen was honestly the happiest he had ever been in his life," Hina said, reminiscing the past.

 _(Flashback)_

 _(10 Years Ago)_

 _"Is this the place?" Zen asked. Stepping out of the car with his mother and sister, the young boy marveled at the building in front of him. After a long drive from their home, they had arrived at the top of secluded mountain. There they found a large wooden dojo which overlooked the the vast landscape below._

 _"Honestly for the number 2 hero, you'd think he'd have a big fancy agency downtown or something," Hina said, looking at the wide empty area around her._

 _"That's just how he is. He's hates that kind of thing. Despite this, he really enjoys being on camera and being the center of attention for some reason," their mother said, as she sighed with a smile._

 _"Yeah, I see him on TV all the time! I've heard he's only ever taken on three sidekicks. I still can't believe that he was our grandpa this entire time! The number 2 hero!" Zen said excitedly as he ran towards the building. Just as the three of them approached the dojo, they began hearing a small obnoxious voice which progressively got louder. It seemed to get closer and closer, but the three couldn't see anything around them._

 _"HHHHHOOOOOONNNNNEEEYYYYYYY!"  
_

 _The three weren't able to see anything until a a rapid white blur crashed into the ground where their mother was standing. The two siblings were nearly blown away the force of the crash which sent a large cloud of smoke. They both yelled out to their mother in worry, as the cloud of dust began to clear. Once it cleared, the two were shocked to see their mother caught in the arms of the unknown attacker. Despite this, both her and her attacker seemed to have smiling faces._

 _"Oh Hana, I missed you so much! You look as beautiful as ever, my angel!" the old man cried out as he hugged the woman tightly and began spinning around. The young woman couldn't help but laugh, as she began getting dizzy from the older man's affections._

 _"Hahaha! D-Dad, cut it out!" Hana cried out while laughing. After playfully swinging her around, the taller man gently placed the red haired woman back down._

 _"Jeez, Dad. You're so embarrassing sometimes," Hana sighed as she shook her head. The older man laughed as he watched his daughter's annoyed reaction._

 _"Haha! I can't help it. It's been over 3 years since the last time I saw you. When you called me, I couldn't help but be excited," Full Tremor said joyfully. He then looked over to his two grandchildren, who still had dumbfounded faces as they stared at the man._

 _"Hey, you're Hina, right? I can hardly recognize you! You're becoming a beautiful young lady just like your mother!" Full Tremor said happily as he caught the red head in tight bear hug._

 _"Y-Yeah, it's to see you too grandpa... Can you let me go now? This is so embarrassing..." she said, as she felt overwhelmed by the man's embrace. Letting go, he laughed at his granddaughter's reaction before looking over to Zen, who looked on with wide eyes._

 _"Y-Y-You're really him..." Zen stuttered as he stared at the hero with starry eyes._

 _"And you're Zen, huh? I barely recognize you! The last time I saw you, you were just a little baby," the hero said with a big smile as he placed his hand on the boy's head. The boy felt his heart skip a beat, as the felt the warm yet powerful hand resting atop his shoulders. Seeing a hero, whom he had admired for a long time, standing over him made his body tremble with excitement._

 _"So dad, are you sure you're ok with this? I know you're really busy all the time," Hana asked in a concerned tone._

 _"Don't worry about me, dear. I think I can handle doing my job and helping my family. Besides, I've been looking forward to spending some time with my grandson here," Full Tremor said with a big toothy grin._

 _"Alright dad, I'll take you're word for it. Zen, be sure not to cause any trouble for your grandfather, alright? I'll be back to pick you up in two weeks," Hana said, as she crouched down to Zen's level._

 _"Two weeks? That's it? But I really want to learn about being a hero! There's no way that's enough time!' Zen complained._

 _"You seem to be misunderstanding, Zen. I'm only here to teach you to control your quirk so that you don't hurt yourself anymore. As much as I want to spend more time with you, I'm a busy guy with a lot of things to do," Full Tremor said._

 _"No way! I just found out that my grandpa is an amazing hero! I've always wanted to be a hero like you and All Might, so please you have to teach me," Zen pleaded. Full Tremor's smile suddenly disappeared and turned into a stern frown._

 _"Look, Zen. I get that you want to be a hero, but first you are far too young to understand what it means to truly be a hero. Second, using this quirk isn't nearly as simple as you think. This quirk is powerful, there is no doubt about that, however it can be just as dangerous on the user as it is on others. I think you experienced a glimpse of that yourself," Full Tremor said. Zen looked down at his arm and instantly thought back to the pain he felt before. Wincing, he grasped his arm as he could nearly feel the pain returning in the back of his mind. Full Tremor, seeing the boy's reaction, raised his own hand and soon a quake bubble formed around it. The three could feel the soft light it radiated followed by the strong pressure which suddenly filled the air._

 _"This power of ours is not just another simple quirk. Many members of our family have attempted to master this power only for each and everyone of them to fail. Some were damaged for life while others even did lose their lives. It took me decades in order to use it as you see now. Do you really believe a child like you handle this power?" Full Tremor asked, his voice suddenly getting much more harsh. Zen felt the strength in his words, as he looked down. His mother and sister started becoming concerned as the boy fell silent. Just then, Zen quietly said something inaudible to the others. Full Tremor looked at him questioningly, as the boy slowly raised his head._

 _"I said, wasn't it you who said, no matter how hard things get, just grit your teeth, smile, and keep on fighting?" Zen asked. Full Tremor saw the new confidence and determination in the young boy's eyes._

 _"I never forgot those words. It was those words that made me to want to become a hero. That's why I don't care how hard it's going to be! I won't give up until you teach me how to be a hero!" Zen yelled in a determined voice. Hana and Hina smiled at the young boy. Full Tremor, however, only seemed to get more irritated, as he clenched his fists._

 _"Do you have any idea how serious this is? This isn't a game, you know! Using this power and failing could end up destroying your life, and even if it doesn't do you really think a kid like you even understands what it is like to be a hero?! It's not nearly as glamorous as you think it is. Lives are always on the line, including your own, one mistake is all it takes to lose everything! How can a kid like you even begin to comprehend that!" Full Tremor roared angrily, forcing Hana and Hina to take a step back. Zen, however remained stubborn as he took a step forward._

 _"Don't treat me like some kid! I might not know how dangerous it really is, but I do know that people's lives are always on the line! That's why I want to become a hero so that I can help protect them! That's why I need you to show me!" Zen said defiantly. Even though he felt genuine fear at the older heroes anger, some part of him refused to allow him to give up. A vein started to pop out of Full Tremor's head, as he clenched his fist even tighter. Suddenly out of nowhere, the ground around him rumbled then shattered with the cracks beginning to expand. A massive invisible pressure was released from the hero's body which pushed back Zen several feet away. The boy struggled to maintain his footing, as the force continued to grow stronger. His mother and sister ducked down as they felt the overwhelming pressure from their end as well._

 _"You cheeky brat! What would you know about any of this?! I have lost dear friends in this line of work, witnessed innocent people lose their lives, and nearly lost my own on countless occasions. Do you really really think a greenhorn like you has any hope out in the world. I won't let a member of my family throw their life away on this. If you really want to become one, it will be over my dead body! What's going to happen is that I will show you to control this power and then you will leave! That's the end of it!" Full Tremor shouted out, increasing the magnitude of the shockwaves around him even further._

 _Zen felt his body trembling at the sudden display of power. He almost felt as if he could feel each wave shaking his bones inside._

 _"(T-This power... I've seen mom use it a few times, but this is in a completely different world. So this is what its like to be in front of a pro...)" Zen thought, as the force continued to push him down._

 _"Do you see now? This is a just a taste of the kinds of forces you must face as a hero. This discussion is over, now come on. We need to get started so that we ca-," The man stopped, his eyes widening, as he saw the sight before him. He was speechless as he saw the smaller figure beginning to slowly rise. Zen's legs trembled, as he used all the strength in his body to push himself up. He felt his muscles straining and bones creaking as he forced himself against the overwhelming pressure._

 _"Wow... you're really so amazing. I always knew that you were strong, but seeing you up close is even better than I could have ever imagined..." Zen said slowly, his voice trembling. He had never felt so afraid in his life, and yet despite that, he had never felt so excited either. His body was beginning to get more sore as he continued to push against Full Tremor's waves._

 _"Why are you so stubborn? I already told you that I wouldn't do it. Can't you see that it's pointless?" Full Tremor asked._

 _"And so what if it is?!" Zen yelled back, catching the older hero by surprise. At this point, Zen wasn't even fully aware of what he was saying. The fear and shock from the situation he found himself in caused him to just speak out without any thought._

 _"I get that being a hero is hard, and that you are just trying to look out for me. That's how I know you're a really nice hero. But even so, I won't give up! I will become a hero no matter what! If you don't want to teach me, that's fine, but I won't stop even for you!" Zen shouted. The older man felt his patience wearing thin. He slowly started to walk towards the boy, each step causing to ground to crack before him. It felt as if the entire mountain was trembling in fear. Despite the tremendous amount of fear that passed through him, Zen stood firm as he stubbornly glared at the older hero._

 _"You're really pushing me, boy! It looks like I'll need to force the lesson into you!" Full Tremor said angrily as he approached the younger boy._

 _"Come on then! I won't let you stop me. I will beat you here, and I will become a hero that can protect everyone!" Zen exclaimed, standing his ground as he stared fiercely at Full Tremor. His onyx stares staring directly into Full Tremor's masked ones. As he stared at the boy, he couldn't help but be reminded of a certain blond haired student of his._

 _"(I will become a symbol that can protect everyone!)", words from long ago resonated through his mind after hearing his grandson's words. As he looked down at the boy, he saw an image of a familiar person next to him. Squinting, Full Tremor saw an older boy in his late teens with messy blond hair and piercing blue eyes. Despite how different they looked, Full Tremor felt the same resolve in their eyes._

 _Closing his eyes, he continued moving towards the boy until he stood directly in front of him, his intimidating figure towering over his grandson. Up close, Zen could barely breathe due to the heroes fierce presence. He started getting dizzy from the pounding force that was released from the older man's body. Looking up he saw Full Tremor's hand glowing a soft white color as he reached down for Zen. Refusing to back away, both because of his determination as well as his body's inability to, Zen closed his eyes, as he awaited for the impending impact. To his surprise, however, all he felt was a soft pat on his head. Looking up, he was surprised to see Full Tremor smiling down at him._

 _"You pass," he said softly._

 _"Wait... wha-" Zen couldn't even finish his sentence, as his brain couldn't process what was happening. One moment, he was sure that he was about to feel the pain of his life, and the next he saw Full Tremor's demeanor completely change. At that moment, the force radiating from Full Tremor's body ceased, taking the fierce quaking with it. The mountain then soon returned to it's peaceful and quiet state, as the ground finally stopped shaking._

 _"I have to say kid, you've got real guts. Far more than any kid should at your age. I wonder who you take after?" Full Tremor said, as he began walking away._ _Zen felt his legs losing all strength, as he let out a long sigh of relief while trying to catch his breath._

 _"Wait, you mean this was a test the whole time? Jeez, don't you think that was a bit overkill? But wait... does this mean?" Zen asked hopeful, as he saw Full Tremor stopping to view the mountains._

 _"You're dead set on becoming a hero either way. I can tell from your resolve just now. If that's the case, it probably be best for me to teach you what I know. At least enough that you won't get yourself killed out there," Full Tremor said, as he turned around with a big smile on his face. Hearing those words, Zen felt his heart stop. He couldn't even find any words to speak, as he stared blankly at the hero before him. It was as if time froze around him, with the only sounds being from the soft wind blowing through the area. Being acknowledged by a hero whom he had idolized for so long, Zen felt tears forming in his eyes, as he shaking formed a smile on his face. A few feet away Hina and Hana were slowly pulling themselves up, as they watched the two._

 _"This whole thing was supposed to be a test? That was absolutely terrifying! Is he nuts?!" Hina said, annoyed as she brushed off the dust on her pants._

 _"No, I don't think that was just a test. I'm certain that he was actually serious there," Hana said, carefully watching her father._

 _"Huh? He was?" Hina asked, confused._

 _"I know my father. There's no doubt he was dead serious just now. I'm sure he wouldn't have hesitated to beat your brother into a pulp," Hana said._

 _"Then why didn't he? He seemed pretty dead set on stopping Zen," Hina said._

 _"I'm not sure... He must've seen something in him just then. Whatever it was, it was enough to convince your even your stubborn grandfather to change his mind," Hana said, smiling. Hina nodded as the two began walking towards the two boys. Full Tremor smiled brightly as his daughter walked up to him, but to his surprise, all he received was a quick punch to the side of his head._

 _"That was way too much, Dad. You scared the life out of me!" Hana scolded._

 _"Hehe, sorry dear..." Full Tremor said meekly, as he held onto his throbbing head._

 _"Well either way, I certainly hope you'll be more responsible since I'm trusting you with looking after my son," Hana said, pouting._

 _"Don't worry, dear. I promise I won't be too harsh these next three months," Full Tremor said, slowly recovering from the blow._

 _"Three months? I thought you said two weeks?" Hana asked._

 _"Well that was the original plan, but since your boy is so insistent on training. We'll need more time. Considering that it's now summer and that he has no school for the next few months, we;ll have plenty of time. Besides this is a good way to see just how serious you are about being a hero," Full Tremor said. Zen, who finally regained the strength to stand back up, looked at the man with a confused look._

 _"What do you mean?" Zen asked._

 _"I can tell that you have resolve, but resolve alone can only take you so far. I need to see just how much work you are willing to put in. These three months will be for learning to control your quirk and to increase your physical abilities so your body can handle it. You're free to give up whenever you want, but if you can last through these three months then I will teach you everything I know to become a hero," Full Tremor explained._

 _"I see... Okay! I'll do it!" Zen said, determined._

 _"Are you sure? I won't go easy on you. I promise you these next three months will be absolute hell, and it will get even rougher from there assuming you make it. I'll put you through the ringer harder than you can imagine. Are you absolutely certain you want to take this path? It's not too late to back out" Full Tremor asked seriously._

 _"No way. I've wanted to be a hero for as long as I can remember, and now I have a real chance to start. I want to learn to use my quirk the right way, and I only want you to teach me! If I can't even handle some training then theres no way I can even hope of becoming one. That's why I won't give up. Please grandpa, I don't care what it is or how tough it is, just please teach me everything you know!" Zen begged in a hopeful tone, with a determined look in his eye. Seeing the burning passion in his grandson's eyes, Full Tremor was once again reminded of someone._

 _"Hahaha! That's the spirit! I hope you can back those words up because we'll be starting right away! Hina, you come along too!" Full Tremor exclaimed as he motioned them to come inside the temple._

 _"Huh? Why do I have to go?" Hina asked._

 _"Because this training will no doubt break his body far more than just once. We'll be working nonstop until your brother can use his quirk, so we'll need your healing abilities to save us the time it would take to heal. Besides I heard you want to become a doctor like your father. This will be some good experience for you," Full Tremor explained. Hana put a hand on her daughter's shoulder._

 _"Come on Hina, you have no classes until the fall anyway, right? You should give your brother and grandfather a hand," Hana suggested to her daughter._

 _"Well I guess this could give a chance to improve on my healing quirk," Hina said, looking down at her hand._

 _"Perfect! Come on you two, we have plenty of work to do!" Full Tremor said happily, as he strolled to his temple._

 _"All right! I can't wait!" Zen said in a cheerful tone, as he followed behind the older man._

 _"Well I guess this should be interesting," Hina said, sighing as she followed the two._

 _"Please be careful, you two. I'll be back once summer is over," Hana said, slightly worried about her children._

 _"Don't worry, Dear! I promise they'll be fine... mostly" Full Tremor said quietly only to receive a cold stare from his daughter. Letting out a nervous laugh, he slowly turned eye contact back to his grandson._

 _"So what are going to do first? I really want to know," Zen asked with stars in his eyes._

 _"Well first we'll be doing some tough physical training to build up your body. To use this quirk, you need incredible physical fitness to even use a little bit of it's power. I hope you're ready to break your body on day one," Full Tremor said, flashing him a devilish smile._

 _"Of course I am! I'll do whatever you need me to!" Zen said, psyching himself up. Full Tremor smiled at the boy's enthusiasm, as he slowly close his eyes._

 _"(Nana... you've entrusted everything to Toshinori... I guess it can't hurt to entrust my own future to someone else...)" Full Tremor thought with a solemn expression on his face._

 _"Grandpa? What's the matter?" Zen asked. Opening his eyes, he shook his head at the boy._

 _"Don't worry about it, it's nothing. Now come on! Time is wasting, we're starting right now!" Full Tremor said, as he began racing towards the building, his cape flying behind him as he ran. Zen immediately began running after him, leaving behind an annoyed Hina, who had to readjust her glasses from the sudden gust of wind produced by the man._

 _"Hey! Come on, you two! Wait up!" Hina yelled out in an annoyed tone as she tried to run after the two._

 _(Flashback End)_

"Next thing we knew, three months had passed, and as you probably tell, my brother was able to pull through," Hina said, recalling fondly on her time back then.

"Wow... that's incredible. What was it like watching the two of them train?" Momo asked, intrigued. Hina let out a light laugh at her question.

"Well let's just say I was just as exhausted as they were with the amount of times I had to heal them. Our grandfather really worked Zen to the bone. Sometimes I had to heal him over ten times a day, especially in the beginning. Despite all that, I had never seen Zen happier than when he was together with our grandfather," Hina said, smiling.

"Really?" Momo asked.

"Yeah. As you probably tell, my brother has never been all that good in social situations. He was always such a bright, cheery kid, but he was never really able to make friends," Hina said. Hearing that, Momo's expression lowered a bit.

"I... I can understand that feeling pretty well... Growing up, I never really had many friends either. I get how hard it is..." Momo said in a low tone, her eyes holding a sense of loneliness.

"I see, I'm sorry to hear that. So you understand what he went through pretty well. That all changed, however, once the two of them started training together. They instantly connected and soon they were more than just grandfather and grandson, or teacher and student... They pretty much became best friends," Hina said, setting aside their empty plates. Momo thought back to the smiling faces of Zen and Full Tremor in the picture, as she said that. Seeing the two of them so happy together made her think back to her own mother.

"In fact, after Zen completed his training that summer, he came back every single week to train even further. You could see just how happy he was to go every single time. Eventually they trained together for four whole years before we knew it," Hina said, as she took their plates over to the sink.

"Four years?! Since he was five... No wonder he's so strong," Momo said, surprised.

"That's right, by the time he was nine, Zen was already way stronger than any kid his age really should've been. It was actually a little scary, but either way, Zen was so happy together with him," Hina's bright smile weakened as she continued.

"But... that changed a couple years ago. I'm sure you've heard about what happened," Hina said, her voice getting softer.

"Yes, I remember it was all over the news for a while. I heard that Full Tremor was fatally injured by an unknown villain, but they never found out who it was. I know the story sent shockwaves through the world. I'm so sorry about what happened..." Momo said lowering her head.

"You know... Zen was actually there that day. Right by his side in those last moments..." Hina said, the sadness in her eyes clearly shown through her glasses. Momo's eyes widened upon hearing this.

"I-I had no idea..." Momo said in disbelief.

"For a nine year old to have to witness that. Once moment you're on you're on your way home, and the next you see your grandfather bleeding out on the street. You can probably imagine how hard it must've been for him. Losing his grandfather, his closest friend..." Hina said, her eyes lowering. Momo couldn't even find the words to reply with this new revelation. She felt her heart growing heavy, as the two sat in silence.

"I'm so sorry. It must be horribly difficult to have to talk about this, please forgive me..." Momo apologized. After a bit, Hina let out a little laugh with a strained smile.

"No, no. It's my fault for ruining the mood. Anyway it looks like the storm isn't going to end any time soon. How about staying here for the night? We have a spare room," Hina offered. Seeing the pouring rain through the window, Momo nodded.

"Thank you so much for the offer. I hope it's not too much trouble, but I'll be in your care," Momo said politely. Smiling, Hina stood up and began leading Momo to her room. As they passed by a large iron door, Momo nearly fell over when the house shook a little.

"What was that?" Momo asked, surprised.

"Oh, that's probably Zen training. Want to take a peak?" Hina asked, as she slowly opened the door. Peaking her head inside, Momo was shocked by the large spacious room that was revealed. The room was completely covered in a shiny, and sturdy looking metal on each of it's walls with no windows. In the corner of the room, there appeared to be a large control panel of sorts with tall display. In the middle of the room, Zen was seen panting heavily with robotic parts scattered on the ground around him. He was shirtless with a large black weighted vest strapped on, along with metallic weights placed on his arms and ankles. He appeared to extremely exhausted as he began kneeling with his chest rising and falling rapidly.

"This room is a specially designed training center made by a big hero equipment company. The same type was made for our grandfather's home and is uniquely designed to withstand and endure Zen's quirk. It even comes with custom obstacles and enemies that can be adjusted on that computer over there," Hina said quietly while pointing at the display.

"This is amazing. So this is what I saw from outside," Momo said, realizing what the strange part of the house was.

"Yeah, I had this place installed about two years back just for Zen. It cost me just about all of my savings at the time, but it certainly is better than letting Zen flatten our backyard and with it the entire neighborhood. There's even a specialist who comes in every week to fix and replenish the room," Hina explained.

"So Takeda trains here every day? It looks really intense..." Momo asked, shocked as she saw just how exhausted Zen was.

"Yeah, he's been pushing himself like this everyday for years now... I swear one of these days, he's going to kill himself," Hina said, rubbing the bridge of her nose. Momo stared closely at Zen's exhausted face. Despite the clear fatigue in them, his eyes still held a burning resolve, as he prepared for another wave of robots.

"Come on, we should get going before we get caught up in his training," Hina suggested, as Momo nodded. The two quietly closed the door, as they continued heading down the hall. Soon they reached the guest bedroom, but Momo then stopped, silently looking down at the ground.

"Momo? Is something wrong?" Hina asked in a worried tone. Momo shook her head, and revealed a smile.

"No, it's just... Ever since I came here, I learned so much in so little time. It's given me a lot to think about, both about myself and for what I want to do, but more than anything, I'm really glad to have come here," Momo said with a bright smile.

"I see... I'm really glad I had the chance to meet you too, Momo. I'm really glad that Zen has such a kind and strong classmate. I just know that you both will become amazing heroes one day," Hina said, the brightness in her eyes being matched only by her wide smile.

Back in the training room, several machine parts scattered to the ground, as the last robot fell. Zen fell to the ground on his knees soon after with a loud thud. Several beads of sweat rained down from his chin, as his long breathes were as heavy as the weights on his body.

"Damn it... why can I still not..." Zen stared down at his shaking hands, as his vision became blurrier. Shaking his head, he tightened his fists as he forced himself to stand back up. Soon hidden compartments in the floor and walls opened up to reveal more silver robots, ready to attack. His knees were slowly shaking, as he struggled to take his fighting pose. His veins were about to pop as his muscles were at their limit, being pushed against the weights strapped to his body.

"I'm not done yet... Not until I've reached it!" Zen's eyes hardened, as he prepared to fight once more. His legs glowed, as he bolted from his spot, ready for another battle against his limits.

(The Next Morning)

Momo yawned, as she stepped out of the bathroom, fully dressed in a new clean uniform she created with her quirk. As she entered the kitchen, her nose was filled by a powerful wave of delicious flavors.

"Oh Yaoyorozu, you're up. I made breakfast, is Tamago Kake Gohan alright with you? If not, we can stop by someplace before we head to class," Zen said in his usual emotionless voice, as he was in the middle of wrapping two boxes in colorful pieces of cloth.

"N-No, this is perfect! I'm fine with anything," Momo said, as her stomach rumbled from the smell. As she took a seat, she noticed that there were only two bowls placed on the table.

"Where is Hina? Is she not joining us?" Momo asked.

"The hospital needed her early, so she already left. She wanted me to tell you that she's sorry for not being able to see you off," Zen said, as he finished tying up the boxes.

"Oh, tell her not to worry! I know that she's really busy, and I really respect how committed she is to her work," Momo said, smiling. Nodding, Zen placed a small box wrapped in bright red cloth in front of Momo. Momo gave him a confused look, as she stared at the box.

"My sister told me to make you some lunch for the day. I wasn't sure what you like, so I made a sandwich and some other dishes. It's fine if you don't want it," Zen said, taking his seat.

"No! That's fine! I really appreciate it, thank you Takeda," Momo said with shaking lips. After a taste of Zen's food from the night before, Momo's stomach couldn't help but rumble in anticipation at the sight and smell of all of his food. Placing the box next to her bag, she proceeded to pick her bowl to join him. Looking down at the bright white rice covered by a deliciously seasoned egg, she fought with all of her might to resist devouring the food in an instant. Her years of noble upbringing prevented her from doing so, as she took small delicate spoonfuls of the food into her mouth. As the warm rice and eggs reached her taste buds, Momo was barely able to push back tears from forming in her eyes, as the two continued to eat their breakfast.

After finishing, the two stepped outside to the warm sunlight. As Zen was locking the door, Momo saw each rain drop from the night before lying peacefully atop each plant and blade of grass. They all shimmered brightly as the sunlight lit up each individual plant around the lawn and trees.

"Are you ready to go?" Zen asked. Momo nodded, as she silently followed him. On the way, Momo noticed a familiar group of boys standing along the sidewalk. As soon as they noticed the two walking closer, they all instantly tensed up and stood in attention. The brown haired boy from yesterday looked nervously at Zen, as he bowed.

"B-Boss! I see you're headed to U.A. right now as usual. I want to report that there has been no suspicious activity around here, but we'll be sure to stay extra vigilant!" he reported, as everyone else nodded in agreement. Zen let out a sigh, as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"First of all, stop calling me boss, how many times do I keep having to tell you that? Second, no one asked you to patrol the area. If anything happens, the heroes will take care of it. You guys would just end up getting hurt. And third, shouldn't you all be heading to classes yourselves?" Zen asked, annoyed.

"Our school is right around the corner so we have plenty of time, boss! Also we promised that we would take care of the area in your absence, so no matter what, we will fulfill our duty!" he replied with the others nodding once more.

"There's no helping you guys, is there?" Zen let out a sigh. Momo let out a small laugh at their exchange, as the other boys took notice. The small boy with glasses stepped forward and began speaking.

"U-Um boss. This classmate of yours stayed over at your place? And she's walking with you to school... So does that mean she's your girlf-"

"Don't finish that sentence," Zen cut him off in an annoyed tone, his eyebrow twitching. Momo's face started burning at the realization of what he was going to say and quickly began shaking her hands.

"N-No! It's not like that! I only stayed over because of the storm last! We're just classmates, so please don't make such embarrassing assumptions!" Momo ordered in a shaking voice.

"Y-Yes M-Mam!" the boy with glasss quickly replied, afraid of incurring Zen's anger. Letting out another annoyed sigh, Zen walked past the boys with Momo following quickly behind. The boys all bowed, as the two passed and stayed that way even after the two were no longer in sight.

"Honestly those guys..." Zen said, shaking his head. Momo stayed silent, as she stayed close behind him. She stared at his back, as she held the lunchbox he made close to her body.

"U-Um Takeda" Momo said quietly, just barely audible enough for Zen to hear. Turning around, he gave her a confused look.

"I've been wanting to ask you something since last night..." Momo said slowly.

"What is it?" Zen asked.

"I just wanted to know... why have you never mentioned that Full Tremor is your grandfather? I understand if it's hard to talk about, so you don't have to answer..." Momo said, looking to the side. Zen's eyes softened a little at her question.

"I see, so my sister told you about that. To answer your question, it's not because I want to keep it a secret or anything. True, it is a little hard to talk about for me, but if anyone asked, I would still answer honestly about my relationship with him," Zen explained.

"So... why have you never talked about it before?" Momo asked. Letting out a sigh, Zen stared at his fist.

"It's because, I don't want any sympathy or giveaways just because of my relations with him. I want to become a hero on my own strength, not just because I'm related to one. Of course, I'll always take pride in being the grandson of Full Tremor, but I don't want to become a hero just based on that. I want to make my own path forward with my own two hands. That's why I didn't want to get into U.A. with recommendations and that's why I haven't really talked about it," Zen explained. The two stood in silence for a while before Zen turned ahead.

"Come on... we should get going. We'll be late if we miss the train," Zen said. Processing his answer, Momo took a deep breath before coming to a decision.

"Thank you for answering, but theres one more thing I want to say," Momo said, this time with strong resolve in her voice. Turning around, Zen's eyes were met with Momo's determined gaze.

"I know that you're really strong, and I respect that a lot, but I want you to know... I won't lose to you. I'll fight with everything I have at the sports festival, so please Takeda... will you do the same?" Momo asked, her onyx eyes filled with a fiery determination. Zen saw this and turned away from her.

"Alright... I see how serious you are. I'll be sure to fight with all I have, but I will let you know, I don't intend on losing. Not even to you," Zen said, a clear resolve in his voice. Hearing his answer, Momo smiled. Nodding the two continued heading to U.A. each of them filled with sheer determination for the coming days.

(Two Weeks Later)

A massive stadium filled with tens of thousands of people cheered at the coming events. The loud voices echoed radiantly through the area with the only thing louder being Present Mic's voice on the announcements. Inside of a hallway leading into the stadium, several footsteps began making their way outside.

"Now is the moment you have all been waiting for folks! Give a big round of applause for the contestants who will be putting everything on the line here today!" Present Mic yelled out excitedly, as he sat in the booth next to a bandaged up Aizawa. Right on cue, stepping outside into the bright sunlight were the students of U.A. all dressed in their PE uniforms. Among the ones with the most intense looks on their faces were Izuku, Zen, Bakugo, Todoroki, Momo, Uraraka, Iida, and countless others, each with a single thought on their minds- Victory.

"And now let the Sports Festival begin!"

 **(Breath in, Breath out)(Bows down in shame) I am soooooo sooooorrrrrryyyyy guys! Coming back to these new classes literally hit me like a sack of bricks. To top it all of, my story file kept getting messed up because of my own stupidity :( But now I am back in business with a firm schedule in place which I really really really hope I will stick to, and believe me I want to do it. So once more, I am really sorry, and I will see you next time (Hopefully much sooner this time) on Promises of a Hero!**


	7. The Sports Festival Commences

**Alright guys, here we are with the next chapter. As I promised, its here a little sooner than last time, but still not as soon as I would like. Either way, just sit back and enjoy the chapter!**

Chapter 7: The Sports Festival Commences

After two weeks of long training and preparation, the much anticipated sports festival had finally arrived. As Class 1-A patiently waited in their room for the event to begin, the loud echoes from the crowd outside could clearly be heard through the walls. While everyone was preparing for the event to begin, Zen sat quietly in the corner with his eyes closed and his arms crossed. He opened his eyes once he heard Izuku and Todoroki having what appeared to be a tense conversation. Todoroki had declared that he would defeat Izuku, and it appeared to make everyone nervous. Izuku seemed the most tense however, as noted by the amount of shaking.

"I know that you're much stronger than me, in fact you're probably one of the strongest ones here, if not the strongest. That's why you were able to get in so easily," Izuku said in a low tone.

"Hey Midoriya, aren't you being a little too hard on yourself?" Kirishima asked, but was cut off when he saw Izuku clenching his fists.

"All of the other courses will be giving it their all to defeat us. We all will have to fight to stand out. And I'll be aiming for the top too, aiming to be number one," Izuku said with newfound determination in his eyes.

"Hm. Is that so?" Todoroki said, intrigued by his sudden change in demeanor. Everyone was shocked by this sudden exchange and most annoyed was none other Bakugo. Zen, however, remained silent, as he stood up from his seat. Everyone looked over to him, as he walked towards the exit without a word.

"Takeda?" Momo asked in a worried tone. Quietly opening the door, Zen stepped outside, leaving everyone else confused by his action.

"(That's right... Theres still him...That look in his eyes, it's so familiar...)" Todoroki thought cautiously.

"(Takeda, Todoroki, Kacchan, and so many others...)" Izuku thought, clenching his fists.

Outside, Zen closed the door behind him, and took a deep breath, as he stared blankly at the ceiling.

"Number one, huh?" Zen quietly whispered as he began walking towards the stadium.

Later after all of the classes gathered into the stadium, they all stood in attention, as Midnight began introducing the crowd, although she proved to be too distracting by just being herself.

"And now for the student pledge, we have Katsuki Bakugo!" Midnight announced.

"W-Wait, Kacchan is the first year rep?" Izuku asked, surprised.

"But wait if this based on the Entrance Exam then shouldn't Takeda be the one up there?" Kirishima asked, looking over to Zen.

"I declined to do it. Not my kind of thing," Zen said, nonchalantly.

"I guess that makes sense, but you do realize this is Bakugo thats going up there, right?" Kirishima asked, slightly nervous. After walking up the stage, Bakugo looked at the crowd with an uncaring face, as he prepared to speak into the microphone.

"All I've got to say is, I'm going to win, thats all," he said although it appeared to lack the energy of his usual self. Upon hearing this, everyone began to boo and yell, as Bakugo began walking down, not caring in the slightest at their protests.

"What an idiot. Maybe I should've done it after all," Zen said in an annoyed tone.

"Yeah, he certainly knows how to make us all look like a bunch of jerks," Momo said, sighing.

"W-Well, now that that's out of the way, we can announce the first event!" Midnight said, waving her baton. At her signal, the large monitor above the stadium began calculating the first event. It eventually stopped on a obstacle race.

"So the first event will be an obstacle course! This will be a four kilometer race around the outside of the stadium. There will be no restrictions in this game, so as long as you stay on the track, anything goes!" Midnight announced excitedly, as everyone began cheering in anticipation of the first event. On her signal, one of the gates in the stadium started glowing.

"Now then, everyone take your places!" Midnight yelled out, as everyone lined up at the starting point. Everyone waited anxiously as the green lights started to turn off one by one. As soon as the last light turned off, everyone immediately began bolting through the narrow doorway as fast as they could.

From the announcer's booth, Present Mic and a bandaged up Aizawa watched as they crowd began pushing through.

"And we are off to a racing start! So what do you have to say about this Eraser? What should we pay attention to here?!" Present Mic asked loudly.

"The doorway," Aizawa simply said, as they saw the chaos that erupted right from the beginning. Everyone began pushing and shoving against each other as they desperately fought to get through first.

"(So this is how they are testing us)" Izuku thought, as he was elbowed to his face, and ribs during the chaos. Realizing what was happening, Todoroki was the first to make his move.

"This is the first obstacle," Todoroki realized, as activated his ice. In an instant, a blistering cold breeze blew through the entrance, encasing the entire side of the stadium in ice. From the doorway, a clear path of ice was created leading outside. Running through was Todoroki, who had successfully ensnared countless students in his ice. Unable to get through, many were helpless as they watched Todoroki run on ahead. They noticed several shadows appearing overhead however, as they remained in place. Above them was Aoyama, Momo, Kirishima, and Bakugo who had all managed to evade the ice with their respective quirks. Several others from Class 1-A including Tokoyami, Ojiro, and Mina were also able to get through with their quirks. As the students stared dumbfounded at how easily they saw through the attack, they were completely caught off guard when a massive shockwave ignited from the center of the crowd, sending both students and shattered ice through the air. Appearing from the dust was Zen, who was easily running along the ice, shocking Todoroki. Lookng down, he saw that the ice over the area that Zen stepped on, cracked and broke instantly with each step. Soon he proved fast enough to rush past the others and close the distance between the two until Zen was directly behind him.

"That was a clever trick, but it won't be that easy to stop me," Zen said seriously, as he continued to sprint forward.

"(I see... the shockwaves produced from his body can instantly break through my ice. This is going to be tough)" Todoroki thought as he saw Zen quickly catching up with his superior speed, the sound of cracking ice getting louder with each step. Just as they became even, they both noticed someone quickly catching up from behind. Looking back, they saw many familiar purple objects trailing up to their location. Seeing a shadow from above, the two saw a smug looking Mineta flying above them.

"Haha! I've got you two now! As long as I get you two then theres nothing to worry about!" Mineta exclaimed, as he grabbed a ball from his hair.

"Prepare for my special move! Gra-" Just as he prepared to launch his attack, a sudden impact sent the boy flying through the air. Surprised by the sudden attack, everyone looked over to see the cause. In front of the students was a long line of green robots, varying in size and shape depending on the numbers inscribed on their bodies. The biggest surprise, however, was no doubt the massive ones with zeroes on them that towered over the others.

"So they're using the robots from the entrance exams..." Zen said, as the robots began marching closer to him and Todoroki. Seeing that the other students were catching up, Todoroki took the initiative and formed a massive amount of ice towards the approaching robots. Before they could reach him, they became frozen in place. Taking this chance, he ran past them just before the robots began to lose their balance.

"Sorry, but I can't afford to hold back while my dear old father is watching. I suggest you watch yourselves, I froze them while they were off balance," Todoroki said, as he continued to run past the robots. As some of the large robots began falling down, many of the students began to panic, as the massive mass of metal descended closer.

"Not bad at all, both taking out the robots and stopping the other contestants. Good to see that there are some here who can make this worthwhile," Zen said, powering up his legs. Jumping from his spot, he flew up with such intensity that the force blew away many of the surrounding students and robots. Aiming for one of the falling robots, Zen formed a quake bubble around his fist. Punching it directly in the center, the metal screeched and warped as the power of his quirk effortlessly blew a massive hole through the robot's body, leaving nearly nothing left in it's center as it's arms and legs were detached and flew down. Using the force from his jump, Zen continued to fly through the falling metallic parts and wires, until he could clearly see everything from above. Todoroki was already a good distance ahead while everyone else was still either halted by the robots or were dodging the parts from the one, Zen had just destroyed. With his path clear, Zen formed bubbles around his feet as he began dashing through the air, the quake bubbles releasing waves with each step he took.

"H-Hey, is that guy, running through the air?!" one of the students asked in shock, as he witnessed Zen seemingly running through the air.

"He's able to do that with his quirk too? I thought he could only propel himself long distances in linear directions, but it looks like he can make short, more concentrated bursts too," Izuku analyzed before being forced to turn his direction back to the robots. While he was running, Todoroki's eyes widened when he saw Zen overtaking him from above. While he was running through the air, Zen felt his legs getting stiffer, and his balance began to turn.

"(Damn... I still can't use it for too long. I haven't had enough time to master this)" Zen thought, as he was forced to land back on the ground. Seeing that he was now a good distance above Todoroki, he continued to sprint forward, securing his lead even more.

"Wow! What an amazing display! Stopping the robots and students with ice, smashing through the robots like paper, and running through the air with shockwaves! Looks like Zen Takeda and Shoto Todoroki are two that we certainly need to keep an eye on!" Present Mic announced excitedly, as he watched the two. Aizawa meanwhile was observing the two of them carefully, his eyes narrowing through his bandages.

"(Both of them are far above their peers, and perhaps skilled enough to be heroes already. Todoroki is strong, but he's too reliant on his quirk. Takeda is talented and he is masterful with both his quirk and his natural abilities. Even so, it seems like he hasn't fully mastered all of his skills, otherwise he would've used that ability to easily reach the finish. Each of them clearly have their own issues, and not just physically. They definitely have a lot more in common than it seems)" Aizawa thought, as he continued to watch the race.

O-O

(Kamino Hospital)

"Alright, it looks like you've made a full recovery. You'll be good to go home later this afternoon after we run some final checks," Hina said, smiling at the elderly woman on the hospital bed.

"Thank you so much, doctor. I feel so relieved thanks to you," the woman said, smiling back at the red haired doctor. Nodding, Hina wrote down on several forms before heading towards the door. Gently closing the door behind her, she met with a nurse who was waiting outside the room.

"Can you please run these forms for me? She should be the last patient we have right now," Hina said, handing her clipboard to the nurse who happily took it.

"Of course, ma'am. I'll handle it right away," she said politely before heading down the hall. As she walked away, Hina heard the sound of loud cheering, as she turned to the TV that hung above the hallway. Her eyes widened when she saw who was on it. On the large screen, she saw Zen, who was the main focus of the camera, running in what appeared to be a large scale race. He appeared to be far ahead of the others, running without the slightest sign of fatigue with his eyes completely focused on the path in front of him.

"Just look at him go folks! It seems like nothing can stop him! The race is still far from over, but Zen Takeda certainly seems like a favorite to win this!" Present Mic announced.

"That's right. The Sports Festival is today. I really wanted to be there to cheer on Zen and Momo..." Hina said, sighing. As she continued to watch, she noticed two of her nurses walking up to her.

"Oh! Doctor Takeda, isn't that your brother up there? He's doing really good" the brown haired nurse with a ponytail asked.

"Oh my. I have admit, if only I was just a couple years younger..." the older blond haired nurse said, giggling, as she placed a hand on her cheek.

"Please stop," Hina said, feeling sick from her comment.

"Hehe, sorry. But he really is doing well. I remember when you used to take him here when he was younger. He really has grown has grown up, huh?" she said.

"Yeah he has. Now he's finally on his way to achieving his dream," Hina said, smiling at the screen.

"Why didn't you take the day off, doctor? Don't you want to be there to cheer him on?" the brown haired nurse asked.

"I really do want to be there, but I can't leave my patients just like that. Besides knowing him, he'd probably feel bad if I left work to go watch him," Hina said, giving them a small smile.

"Oh come on, doctor, you've been working nonstop lately. You just handled all of our current patients by yourself. No one has been working harder than you since you've started working here. You deserve a break, besides this is your brother's big day, you should be there for him," the blond haired nurse said.

"Sorry, but anything could happen. I just don't feel right leaving when someone could need help at any moment," the doctor said, readjusting her glasses. Just then the previous nurse from before ran up the three, appearing to be in a rush.

"Doctor Takeda! You have an urgent call!" the nurse said.

"Hm? From who?" Hina asked, confused, as she wasn't expecting anybody to call specifically her.

"It's from U.A."

O-O

Back at the Sports Festival, Zen was still maintaining a strong lead with Todoroki trying to catch up. After looking back, he turned forward and noticed his path disappearing ahead of him. Stopping, he saw the next obstacle. Before him was a large canyon with no noticeable bottom. There were several steep canyons all connected by thin lines that would be used to cross between each point.

"Looks like our contestants are beginning to reach the next obstacle: The Fall! How will our students get past this without falling to the depths below?!" Present Mic asked over the intercom. Despite the large obstacle before him, Zen was still not fazed, as he took a step back.

"Is this all? I had to go through much steeper mountains as a kid. Compared to that, this is simple!" Zen said, charging his feet with quake bubbles. With one large burst, Zen blasted through the air, landing on the other side with a loud thud in a single shot.

"Wow! What a jump! In a single breath, he made it through that like it was nothing!" Present Mic said in amazement followed by even louder cheering from the audience.

"Seeing as how it was a simple line across, Takeda was able to make one powerful leap rather than needing his smaller concentrated ones. Having a straight path across was certainly to his advantage," Aizawa commented.

Arriving at the canyon just as Zen reached the other side, Todoroki frowned.

"Damn, he's even better than I thought. I need to make for lost time and fast," Todoroki said, freezing the rope before him. Putting his feet on the rope, he began sliding across quickly before the other students arrived. Seeing the two students performing so well, the audience was thrown into a complete frenzy over the two.

"Those two are really something, huh? You can definitely see the difference between them and the others,"

"Man, I wouldn't mind having them as sidekicks,"

"Now that I think about it, isn't that ice guy Endeavor's son?"

"Really? No wonder he's so good. Both athletic and skilled with his quirk. I'm jealous,"

"What about that other guy? He's really amazing too,"

"Yeah, but for some reason, he seems really familiar. I swear I've seen that quirk somewhere before,"

"I think you're right. I can't put my finger on it, but I've seen it somewhere too,"

As the crowd kept talking amongst themselves, the other students soon began reaching the canyon as Todoroki just reached the other side. They stared in shock at how far ahead the two of them were, as well as how difficult the obstacle appeared. Despite this, several of the students, particularly those from Class 1-A, continued forward without hesitation. The first was Hatsume, who used her gear to propel herself forward. She was then followed by others such as Bakugo, who used his explosions to fly over, Tenya, who boosted his way across the ropes, and Izuku who used the shield he obtained from an earlier robot to slide across. One by one, everyone began crossing over in their own ways in hopes of catching up to the two front runners who now had an even more substantial lead than before. As the first couple of students began to finish the obstacle, Zen arrived at a large open path. Sensing something was wrong, he stopped in place and carefully looked around. Tapping his foot onto the ground, Zen was able to feel something was off. He could detect hundreds of objects embedded in the ground all in front of him. Seeing the various indentions on the ground, Zen placed aimed his finger at one of them. Releasing a small wave from his finger, the strength of which could barely push a piece of paper, he gently fired it at the indention. The instant the wave hit the indention, a large explosion ignited in front of him, blowing smoke and dust around him.

"Land mines? It looks like they explode instantly to even the slightest pressure from the top, and theres tons of them too. If I try to jump over them with a large boost, it might ignite all of them at once, and I doubt I can use my smaller jumps long enough to get to the other side. What a pain, this is really going to slow me down, but I have no choice..." Zen said, as he began carefully walking through the spaces between each mine.

"Well it looks like our contestants are finally reaching the final obstacle: The Land Mine Field! Although they may not be very powerful individually, together they can pack a real punch! Better be careful out there! Although this seems like a good chance for those in behind to catch up!" Present Mic announced, seeing both Zen and Todoroki rapidly slowing their pace.

While focusing on avoiding the mines, Zen was able to sense something rapidly approaching through the air from behind him followed by the sounds of loud explosions. Looking behind him, he saw Bakugo furiously flying towards him and Todoroki. First he flew past Todoroki and aimed straight for Zen.

"I've got you now, you bastard!" Bakugo shouted, as reached for Zen's face. Quickly moving out of the way, Bakugo's hand released an explosion to his side. Zen was about to create a shockwave to blow away Bakugo, but stopped when he remembered where they were.

"Heh! Looks like you can't use your quirk! Not that it would help you against me!" Bakugo taunted, as he prepared to launch another explosion. Just before he could, the messy haired boy, felt a sharp pain to the side of his face, as his vision was flipped to the side. Zen had delivered a swift punch before Bakugo could even react, sending the boy flying back.

"I'm not so reliant on my quirk that I need it to beat you," Zen said, glaring at his classmate in annoyance. Recovering, Bakugo felt his rage growing even further, as he propelled himself back towards Zen. Just before he could launch his next attack, he felt a cold sensation on his left arm. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Todoroki, who had caught up to the two, with his hand slowly freezing his arm. Quickly knocking his hand and the ice away, Bakugo sent an explosion towards Todoroki, who proceeded to dodge and counter with limited amounts of ice. Meanwhile Zen took the chance to deliver another punch to the explosion user. This time, Bakugo was quick enough to block, however, underestimating the strength of Zen's punch, the boy was sent flying into Todoroki. Just as the two hit each other, both were quick to attack each other with Todoroki using his ice while Bakugo using an explosion causing both of them to be repelled from each other from the force of the attack. As the three continued to fight, none of them were prepared for the massive explosion that occurred a good distance behind them. As they saw the giant cloud of smoke rising, a single figure flew through the sky, quickly overtaking all of the students who were in the center of the minefield. Soon enough, the three front runners got a good look at the figure that was flying directly over them. With a fiery look in his eyes, Izuku blasted through the air on a green shield that he had obtained from an earlier robot. Soon enough, he managed to fly past even the three of them to take the lead for himself. Seeing this, Todoroki and Bakugo ceased their fighting to try and catch up. Bakugo blasted off towards Izuku while Todoroki decided to create a path of ice forward, not worrying about the others catching up.

"Midoriya... Damn it, this will set off the explosions, but I refuse to lose like this," Zen said, powering up his legs. In an instant he bolted from his spot, creating a powerful force behind him. In that moment, nearly all of the explosives that were behind him were ignited at once, creating one that was even larger than the one Izuku used to launch himself. The ensuing explosion caused countless students to be blown away from the sheer force, making the top four students the only ones with any immediate chance to win. Within a few seconds, the three students were able to catch up to Izuku, who had began to drastically lose momentum as he neared the ground. Just as the four of them were within a few feet of each other, Izuku made a move that caught all of them off guard. Just before he hit the ground, the green haired boy, grabbed onto his shield and smashed it against the ground, the hard metal screeching as it touched the mines. In that instant, the other three were caught in a powerful explosion from point blank range while Izuku used the opportunity to run ahead. Bakugo and Todorki were caught on the sides of the blast, so they were able to recover within a couple of seconds. Zen, however, being directly behind Izuku, took the brunt of the blast and was sent skidding back several meters. Coughing from the large amount of smoke, he was just about able to spot the three of them running ahead, getting further from view with each passing second.

"He's good, but don't think I'm done just yet. That blast sent me pretty far back, but I might be able to make it. I have to try!" Zen used all of his strength to create large quake bubbles around his feet to blast himself through the air. Seeing that the path to the finish was a straight shot, he held nothing back, as he bolted through the air faster than a speeding bullet. By the time he landed, the other three had reached the stadium and began rushing in the final corridor. Landing in front of the arena, he used all of his strength to dash forward. His superior speed allowed him to just about catch up to Bakugo and Todoroki, however, Izuku was still a short distance ahead. Overtaking the two, Zen was able to get within an inch of Izuku, but just as he was about to run past him, the two reached the light on the other side, as they reached the finish. Putting his hand forward, Zen tried to pass up Izuku, only for the green haired boy to reach the end by a hair. Crossing through the gate, the two were met by the glaring sun followed by the loud uproar of the audience.

"And there you have it folks! Our winner for the first event... is Izuku Midoriya!" Present Mic announced, as the cheering got even louder. Stopping himself just on time, Izuku breathed heavily, as the news of his victory began setting in. Unable to fully stop his momentum, Zen skidded to halt for a good distance, as he stared in surprise by the result. Letting out a few tired breathes, he saw Todoroki and Bakugo entering the stadium just two seconds after they did, both looking on in exhaustion and disbelief. As the students began finishing one by one, Zen stared intently at Izuku, who appeared to be looking up at a certain person in the audience. His onyx eyes stared intently at the boy, an uneasy feeling once again welling up from inside him.

 _"In the Sports Festival, I won't lose to you"_

 _"I'll be aiming for the top too"_

"(Midoriya... I guess you were serious after all. I wonder what else you are capable of)" Zen thought, as he turned his attention to the last of the students who finally began reaching finish, some looking far more exhausted than others. After everyone finally regrouped, the large monitor displayed the results for all to see with Izuku being first, followed by Zen, Todoroki, Bakugo and so forth.

"Wow! That was quite the exciting first event! So many unbelievable twists and turns, but it seems that Class 1-A stood out the most. I wonder how everyone will fare in the next event!" Present Mic said.

"That was merely the preliminary test. The real battle will start now. Those who have managed to make it this far will now have a much tougher road ahead of them," Aizawa said in a serious tone. The two continued to watch as everyone began gathering for Midnight's next announcement. After announcing that the top students would be able to advance onto the next event, the monitor displayed the next event: The Cavalry Battle. The event would be decided by the amount of points collected with those who finished first in the obstacle course being worth higher points. Much to Izuku's horror, he learned that as first place, he would be worth ten million points, earning him malicious stares from everyone in the arena.

"In this event, you will have to accumulate the most amount of points you can by taking headbands from other teams. Your team can consist of two to four people with the one wearing the headband, being the rider. You may use your quirks but you cannot use it to try and harm others. Losing your headband does not mean elimination, as you will have all the time to try and reclaim it and take others. You will now have fifteen minutes to form your teams, be sure to choose wisely," Midnight said with wink. With that, all of the students began scrambling to form teams with those they felt would be most effective and compatible with their own abilities. Naturally, the one who was being avoided was Izuku while people flocked to those who reached other high positions. Zen didn't have to go looking as a large crowd formed around him to try and recruit him to be part of a team. The loud commotion around him made his eyebrow twitch in annoyance with him letting out a sigh, as he felt many of them didn't even know him, therefore making a team would be difficult. He just stood there contemplating who would be the best choice while ignoring the requests from those he didn't know. As he looked around, he felt someone tap his shoulder. Turning around, he saw Ojiro, who smiled at him.

"Hey, are you alright? You look like you're about to lose it," Ojiro said, letting out a light laugh at the annoyed face Zen was making.

"I'm not good with crowds like this. Honestly the audience is already a bit much for me, so this isn't exactly helping," Zen said, sighing.

"I guessed that was the case. How about teaming up with me then? I mean we did work together that one time, so I think we should be a decent team," Ojiro suggested.

"Alright, works for me," Zen simply said, disappointing the crowd around him.

"Nice, I was thinking of working together with Sato and Hagakure. Is that fine?" Ojiro asked.

"Whatever you want," Zen replied quickly.

"Hehe, still not much of talker, huh?" Ojiro said, as the two met up with Sato and Toru, who were both excited to see their teammates.

"Sweet! With Takeda on our team, we've got this won!" Sato said, raising his fist.

"Yeah! I can't wait! This should be really good! So how are we going to do this?" Toru asked in a high voice.

"Well, since Takeda got second place, he should be the rider. As for our strategy, what do you think we should do?" Ojiro asked, looking at Zen.

"Alright, everyone will no doubt be going for Midoriya since he's worth the most points. We will stay back and let the other teams fight it out for his headband. When the opportunity arises, we'll swoop in and take their headbands. After that, we can focus on Midoriya once he's open. Knowing him, he'll have a plan to evade the others, so we'll take our time with him," Zen explained. Nodding at his plan, they began to assemble in their position, as they noticed the other teams had been formed. On the other end, Todoroki had formed his team with Momo, Iida, and Kaminari, and was in the middle of explaining his strategy to them. While doing so, he noticed Takeda getting into position with his team.

"We'll have to find a way to counter him. No doubt that he's the biggest threat here. Anyone have any ideas?" Todoroki asked. The others thought carefully about his question, as they began brainstorming ways to counter him.

"Hm, as far as strength and speed goes, he'll be difficult to overcome. He also has Ojiro and Sato with him, dramatically boosting the power and versatility of his team. It would probably be best to capture the headbands and avoid conflict with him," Iida suggested.

"I don't think that would work. Knowing Takeda, he won't give up so easily until he's claimed victory. Even if we avoid him now, sooner down the line, we'll have to face him whether in this event or the next," Momo said.

"I agree. I don't feel right just leaving things off like this. I want to defeat him with my own strength. I'm surprised though, I thought you would be joining his team considering that you two seem fairly close," Todoroki said. Frowning at his comment, Momo thought back to her declaration to him from two weeks ago.

"After everything we've been through, I know all too well just how strong he is. That's why I want to be able to defeat him and prove my strength. It's the same for you two, isn't it?" Momo asked to Iida and Todoroki, who both nodded, each thinking about Izuku.

"Now come on. I'm sure if we combine our strength we can win this," Momo said with a burning resolve in her eyes.

Soon, everyone had taken their positions with their teams. On his end, Zen was lifted by his three teammates, as he tied the headband around his neck. In the front was Sato while Ojiro and Toru provided support in the back. Everyone else had taken their spots and prepared for the time to count down. Directly across from him was Izuku's team consisting of Uraraka, Tokoyami, and Hatsume. Looking to his sides, he watched Todoroki and Bakugo's teams closely as well. After getting a good handle of everyone's locations and build ups, Zen looked down to his teammates.

"All right, is everyone ready?" Zen asked. His allies all nodded in agreement as they eagerly awaited for the timer to count down.

"(Ojiro will be good support in the back with his tail with Hagakure to back him up. Sato will be key for a quick boost, but he can only use it for so long. We'll need to time our movements carefully. Knowing Midoriya, Todoroki, and Yaoyorozu, they probably have thought of this already and have made a plan to counter us. We'll need to be careful)" Zen thought, as they time reached it's end. As soon as the timer reached zero, Midnight waved her baton, signaling for the battle to start. In an instant, all of the teams charged from their spots towards a nervous looking Izuku. Zen's team, began moving to the side in a crescent pattern around the other teams.

"Keep our distance for now, he'll make his move soon," Zen said as the three under him continued running.

"Who do you mean?" Sato asked. In that moment, during the chaos in the middle of the field. A quick wave of ice began covering the field. In an instant majority of the teams in the center were caught in the freezing trap while Todoroki's team charged towards Izuku.

"Alright, now!" Zen said, pointing forward. Nodding his teammates began charging into the fray. Pointing his finger forward, Zen released a thin shockwave forward. The attack quickly began shattering all of the ice in it's path, creating a narrow path for his team to run along. As they rushed forward towards the center, Ojiro used his tail to swipe the headbands of two of the teams. After taking them, he threw them up to Zen, who tied them around his neck. Soon they reached Jirou's team, who was still stuck in Todoroki's ice. Seeing the other teams that had gone before them, her team prepared to take on Zen's team to protect their headband. Being unable to break the ice binding them, Jirou had no choice but to go on the offensive. Just as Zen's team came within range, she used her jacks to go straight for Zen. Just as they came within inches of Zen's neck, Jirou felt unable to move them any further. Looking up, she saw that Zen had managed to catch both of them just before they reached him.

"Sorry about this," Zen said, as his hands began glowing. From there, he sent a shockwave that moved along her jack until it reached her ears. As soon as the wave hit her ears, she gasped in pain from the sudden sensation. She clenched her eyes shut as she held her head, the ringing refusing to cease. While she was disoriented, Zen grabbed her headband before leaving them behind.

"Hey, is she going to be okay? That looked pretty rough," Toru asked in a worried tone.

"Don't worry. I only used enough power to disable her for a bit. She'll be fine in about a minute," Zen said, adjusting the headbands around his neck.

"That's good to hear. You're actually pretty nice, aren't you?" Toru said gladly, her tone indicating that she was smiling.

"I don't know about that, but this should be enough for now. Now we can focus on our real target," Zen said, looking at Izuku. As they began drawing closer to where Izuku and Todoroki's teams were battling, Izuku's team flew into the air away from them all. While it seemed like they home free, they heard an explosion going off from nearby. Looking up, they saw Bakugo flying through the air towards them. Reaching his hand out, he created an explosion only for it to be blocked by Tokoyami's Dark Shadow. The clash sent him back down where he was caught by his team. Midnight then announced that his action was allowed so long as he didn't hit the ground.

"So we're allowed to do that then? That's good to know," Zen said, squinting at Izuku's team, which was still flying in the air.

"What did you have in mind?" Ojiro asked.

"Just hold on for a bit. I'll be right back," Zen replied, standing up.

"Hold on, what ar-" Ojiro couldn't finish his sentence before Zen jumped from his shoulder. Using his shockwaves, he rocketed himself upward, reaching Izuku's team instantly. His sudden appearance caught them off guard, as he began moving forward. The first to react was Tokoyami, who activated his quirk instantly.

 **"Dark Shadow!"**

The dark entity appeared and lunged itself towards Zen. Ducking, he narrowly evaded one of it's strikes before punching it's exposed body with his quirk. The force sent Dark Shadow a short distance away, giving Zen enough time to propel himself closer towards Izuku. Reaching out towards Izuku's headband, he was inches away before he saw something from the corner of his eye. Turning his head, he was just about able to see Hatsume pointing some kind of device at him. With a smirk she fired her weapon. As soon as he saw the projectile heading toward him, he instinctively jumped back. Soon the small metallic projectile burst open to reveal a large net. Raising his palm, Zen fired a shockwave that blew away the net. Using that small window, Tokoyami summoned back his Dark Shadow to his side. With his quirk back, he had Dark Shadow rush towards Zen while Hatsume proceeded to provide cover fire. Zen was forced to parry attacks from Dark Shadow was also simultaneously bouncing around to dodge the barrage of nets being fired. Feeling himself reach his limit in the air, Zen felt a bead of sweat roll down his face, as he tried to keep his balance while evading the constant attacks. Soon he saw four nets being fired towards him with Dark Shadow following behind them. With no way out, Zen opted to take them out with one strike. Charging his fist, he sent a punch forward that fired a large shockwave. The attack quickly destroyed the nets and moved towards Izuku's team.

"Now!" Izuku yelled out. Nodding, Tokoyami quickly recalled his Dark Shadow, as the large wave moved closer. They could feel the overwhelming pressure move closer to them, as they braced for the attack. As soon as Dark Shadow returned, he suddenly stretched out his body, completely covering their front. At the same time, Izuku pointed his jetpack away from the wave. Once the wave made contact with Dark Shadow, his pained grunt could be heard followed by the activation of the jet pack. Zen's eyes widened as he saw the dark shield being pushed away from him. Riding the momentum from the combined force of the shockwave and the jetpack, Izuku and his team could feel the wind pushing against them, as they flew far away from Zen. Soon their team gained an enormous amount of speed, as they rocketed away towards the other side of the arena. Realizing what had happend, Zen frowned to himself.

"You're kidding... He used Dark Shadow as a cushion for against my shockwave while also using it's force to allow them to escape. He was prepared for my move and used it to his advantage... Not bad, but I'm not out just yet," Zen said, preparing to propel himself back towards his team. Before he could, he noticed something being thrown towards him. Looking over his shoulder, he saw two metallic tubes. Before he could react, they both exploded, releasing a large cloud of smoke.

"Smoke bombs? Is this...?" Zen's vision was completely obscured by the cloud of smoke, but he could tell he was about to reach the ground. Right as he was about propel himself away, he saw two more canisters emerging from the smoke. He tried to swipe them away, but as soon as he touched them, they both shattered, releasing a clear liquid from them which covered Zen's body.

"Is this water?" Zen found himself completely soaked, water dripping from his clothes down to the ground below. Sensing something coming his way, he saw a wave of ice emerging from the smoke in front of him. Preparing himself to punch it, he suddenly felt his lower half growing colder before noticing his arm was becoming more stiff. He found it increasingly more difficult to move until his muscles came to a complete stop. The pillar of ice in front of him had stopped before it reached him, but he knew something was off when he felt that he was no longer falling down. Unable to move part of his body, he looked down to see that his entire left leg, chest, and arms was encased in a light coat of ice. Forcing his neck down, he saw a large pillar of ice that his leg was attached to which reached the ground. Soon the smoke dispersed to reveal that the ice trailed from his leg all the way to the ground to where Todoroki's team once was while the ice wave in front of him was merely a faint to draw his attention. Struggling against the ice, he noticed how close he was to the ground.

"Damn it, they completely got me. If I break this ice, I don't know if I'll be able to shoot myself back up before I can hit the ground," Zen muttered to himself as he suppressed the natural shockwaves from his body to prevent the ice from being shattered too quickly. On the other hand, Todoroki's team began heading towards Izuku while Zen was momentarily trapped.

"That was a brilliant idea, Yaoyorozu. Using the smoke to conceal our real intentions while using the water to quickly freeze Takeda when his attention was focused on the ice in front of him," Iida said, as he continued to run forward.

"I'm just glad it worked out. I knew that as soon as the judges allowed for students to separate from their group, Takeda would use that chance to go after Midoriya. Knowing that and his limit in the air, I came up with something with what we had. It's good that it worked, but it won't stop him for long. We need to grab the headband before he breaks through," Momo warned.

"Are you sure? I mean he's pretty close to the ground. As soon as he breaks that ice, he'll hit it and be disqualified. Aren't you being a bit too cautious?" Kaminari asked.

"No, I agree with Yaoyorozu. We've seen what Takeda is capable of, I highly doubt he's beaten yet. For now we just need to focus on Midoriya. He's our top priority. We can't waste this chance," Todoroki ordered, as they set their sights on Izuku's team, who had just landed. On the other side of the arena, Ojiro and the others looked in shock, as they saw Zen stuck in place.

"This is bad. If he hits the ground, it's all over! Not only that, but the ice looks unstable. It's about to shatter at any moment," Sato said in a worried tone.

"Look! The other teams are going towards Takeda!" Toru said in a panicked tone, as she noticed three other teams racing towards him.

"Come on, we need to get going!" Ojiro said, as the other two nodded in agreement. Sato took out a small pouch from his pocket and held it up. Unwrapping it above his face, he opened his mouth. Soon the white grainy substance flowed into his mouth, activating his quirk. Feeling his muscles expanding, veins tightening, and his energy levels rising, he let out powerful roar as he prepared to charge.

"Alright guys, hold on tight!" Sato said. Nodding, Ojiro and Toru held onto him as he bolted from his spot towards Zen. Meanwhile at Zen's location, the quake boy looked around at the teams rushing towards, as he weighted his options. In front of him were Mineta and Jiro's teams while behind him were the two teams from Class 1-B that he had encountered earlier. They were all quickly closing in on him, as he tried to time his action. Knowing that if he activated his quirk, there was a good chance he would hit the ground and be disqualified before he could recover. While he was thinking, he felt the ice under him beginning to crack. Todoroki had purposely formed an uneven pillar of ice that would break no matter what. Even if he waited, he would either end up losing his headbands to the other teams or be disqualified from hitting the ground.

"We may have lost our headband, but we can still win this! Let's finish Takeda quickly!" Mineta said from inside Shoji's shield. Nodding, Tsuyu fired off her tongue towards the headbands around Zen's neck.

"That really hurt earlier, you know! Time to take back what's ours with interest!" Jiro said, as she extended her earphone jacks at the same target. Seeing Tsuyu's tongue, Jiro's jack, as well as the two teams closing in on him from behind, Zen clicked his tongue, as he knew he had no choice. Right as they were mere inches away from him, Zen saw something rapidly approching from the corner of his eye. Knowing instantly what to do, Zen closed his eyes, as he prepared to take a chance. Reactivating his quirk, his entire body was enveloped in a white outline. The ice around his body instantly began cracking once he did this, and by then the other teams were too close to fall back, as Zen reopened his eyes.

 **"Pulse!"**

The other teams didn't have any time react, as a large wave was released from Zen's body. The bubble quickly expanded all around him, first knocking away Tsuyu's tongue and Jiro's jack before the bubble struck all of the teams, pushing them away. The ice around completely shattered into nothing, releasing Zen and causing him to fall down. By the time he tried to prepared another shockwave to shoot him up again, he body was already centimeters from the ground. Just as he prepared to hit the hard ground below him, he felt himself being grabbed from his side before being raised up. Looking over, he saw that he was caught by Sato and Ojiro's tail, who both let out a sigh of relief upon seeing him.

"Sorry you guys. Not only did I fail to get that headband, but I nearly cost us the match," Zen said, bowing his head to them. Helping him back onto their shoulders, he smiled at him.

"Hey now, it's over yet. We have more than enough points to advance to the next round. Besides theres still a bit of time left," Ojiro assured. Right then they heard Present Mic's voice going off over the speaker.

"What a turn of events! Team Todoroki has captured the first place headband! With only ten seconds left, is this the end?!" he shouted, followed by the cheers of the crowd.

"So they beat us to the bunch," Zen said, looking over to the two teams who were on the other side of the arena.

"Come on, we can still go for first! It's not too late!" Toru encouraged. Nodding, Zen looked forward.

"You're right. We're not done yet. Let's go!" Zen said. Agreeing, Sato pushed his body to his limit to give himself a running boost towards Todoroki's team. While they were running, Ojiro slammed his tail down on the ground, propelling their team into the air. From above, they saw Izuku's team rushing towards Todoroki's team while Bakugo came flying in from the side. Nodding to each other, Sato and Ojiro both looked towards Zen, who understood their intentions. With less than three seconds on the clock, Zen stood up, putting one foot on Ojiro's tail and another in Sato's hand. Using all of their strength, they acted as a launching pad for Zen, as they threw him directly towards Todoroki. As he flew down, he used his quirk propel him even faster down. In a split second, Zen burst by Todoroki's team, who couldn't even react to his arrival on time. Quickly grabbing a headband, Zen fired off another shockwave that sent him back up into the air. See his sudden arrival and dissappearance, everyone looked on in shock as he returned to his team right as the ringer went off, signifying the end of the match.

"We did it!" Toru cheered as they landed back down. She stopped however when she noticed Zen's frowning face.

"What's the matter? Didn't we just get first place?" Sato asked in a low tone, feeling his body getting weaker from his quirk wearing off. Looking at them, Zen sighed as he showed them the headband.

"No... They got us this time," Zen said.

"N-No way! They swapped the headbands?!" Ojiro said in shock.

"It looks like we weren't the only ones who got tricked," Zen said, pointing over to Izuku's team who had the same reaction as them. Despite being in first place, Todoroki seemed to be perhaps the most unhappy of them all.

"Unbelievable. I couldn't see Takeda taking that headband. If we hadn't switched it then no doubt we would've lost. And Midoriya... he actually forced me to..." Todoroki frowned, as he stared down at his shaking hand.

"(We were able to pull through in the end, but what now? Takeda, Todoroki, Midoriya, Bakugo, Tokoyami, and so many others. This is going to be difficult, but I have to keep my promise to him)" Momo thought to herself, as she watched Zen from behind.

After tallying up the points Todorki's team reached first place followed by Zen's and then the others. It was decided that the teams that would progress were Teams Todoroki, Takeda, Midoriya, Bakugo, Shinso. Upon declaring that these teams would advance forward. Someone made a surprise declaration. Stepping forward, Toru raised her hand, or rather her sleeve was raised up.

"I want to forfeit" Toru said, shocking everyone present.

"W-Wait, what? Hagakure, what are you saying?" Ojiro asked surprised. Even Zen was surprised by this sudden move, as he looked at her questioningly.

"It's just that you three worked so hard in that last event, and I feel like I didn't do anything to contribute. I just don't feel like it's right for me move on, you know?" Toru explained.

"But still, Hagakure..." Sato looked at her with a sad expression.

"Don't worry. It's fine. I'll be sure to cheer all you guys on, so do your best for all of us, alright?" Toru said in a reassuring tone.

"Well in that case, I think I should forfeit too. Honestly I don't even remember helping out, yet somehow we won," Shoda of Shinso's team said. Another member from the same team agreed and also decided to forfeit, leading Shinso to simply shrug it off. Seeing their motivations, Midnight smiled before raising her baton.

"Well since you all feel so strongly about it then it will be allowed. However since there are now three vacancies, we will need to fill them for the next event! You may decide who they are amongst yourselves!" Midnight announced. Upon hearing this, Kendo decided to nominate Tetsutetsu and Shiozaki. Upon hearing her reasoning, most of Class 1-B agreed leading to the two of them being allowed go forward. The two had tears of joy in their eyes as they thanked everyone for the opportunity.

"Now we need to figure out who can fill in the last spot," Kendo contemplated, as she started rubbing her chin.

"Come on Kendo, isn't the choice obvious?" a confident voice asked. Everyone turned around to find the source which ended up being Monoma, who still looked as confident as he did in the beginning despite losing the last event.

"Really Monoma? What makes you think you deserve to go forward? You lost the last round with no points at all" Kendo asked in an annoyed tone.

"They just got lucky, alright? I won't lose again, especially not to Class 1-A," he said with daggers in his voice.

"Does anyone have any objections?" Kendo asked. Everyone looked down, either feeling not deserving of moving on, or not wanting to get in Monoma's way. Sighing, Kendo gave in.

"Alright, fine. Just don't be idiot or I'll punish you later," Kendo warned. Smiling even wider, Monoma let out a small chuckle.

"Don't worry. This time will be different. I'll show everyone just how pathetic Class 1-A really is when I'm done with them," he said, his arrogance clearly shown in his voice.

"All right then! With that we now have enough to advance to the final event- a One on One tournament!" Midnight announced. Everyone began getting pumped up the news, as the board turned on to reveal the match ups.

"(Finally. This is what I've been waiting for)," Zen thought, as he focused intently on the board.

"And here are the match ups!" The board then revealed all of the names and pictures of the matches that would take place.

Izuku Midoriya Vs Hitoshi Shinso

Shoto Todoroki Vs Hanta Sero

Zen Takeda Vs Neito Monoma

Mashirao Ojiro Vs Rikido Sato

Denki Kaminari Vs Ibara Shiozaki

Tenya Iida Vs Mei Hatsume

Yuga Aoyama Vs Mina Ashido

Fumikage Tokoyami Vs Momo Yaoyorozu

Eijiro Kirishima Vs Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu

Katsuki Bakugo Vs Ochaco Uraraka

Upon seeing the match ups, many were surprised by the first round which seemed like it would be an arduous battle for many to say the least. Izuku looked at Shinso with worry, as the purple haired boy smiled at him. Zen merely closed his eyes, unable to see Monoma grinning maliciously at him from behind. While the student's scrambled to prepare for the coming battles, a pair of piercing blue eyes from the stands looked on in worry, as he tightly grasped his hands.

"This is it. This is where the real battle starts," All Might said, paying particularly close attention to Izuku, Zen, Todoroki, and Bakugo. Unable to contain her excitement, Midnight looked down at the students with intense looks in her eyes.

"All right everyone! Let us begin the final phase of the Sports Festival! Prepare to fight with everything you have, Plus Ultra!

 **Phew and there is another chapter. I probably could've had this out a lot faster had I separated it, but oh well. Anyway that is it for this one, still trying to adjust to my new schedule, but I promise I'm trying guys. Well I hope you enjoyed this and I will see you guys on the next Promises of a Hero!**


	8. Our Drives

**Surprise chapter! I thought that since I've been lagging behind a bit, I would work on one more chapter for this story before going back to doong my two stories evenly. Hopefully by the time you read this, it won't be too lomg from my last update. And now with that out of the way, sit back and enjoy the story.**

Chapter 8: Our Drives

After the conclusion of the Cavalry Battle, a short break was given to the students before the next event would begin. During this time, everyone headed to the cafeteria to eat up while the stage was being prepared for the battles. Zen meanwhile sat outside of the stadium in a nearby bench by the entrance. Taking a bite out of his sandwich, he looked up into the air and relaxed as the cool wind blew through the area. While he did so, he heard two people talking nearby. Looking over at the entrance, he saw Izuku and Todoroki walking out. They exerted a dense air around them after what appeared to be a tense conversation. Zen noticed a determined look on Izuku's face before he headed back inside. As Todoroki headed out, his eyes met with Zen's. Walking over to him, Todoroki looked down at Zen as the two stared at each other.

"Do you need something?" Zen asked, taking another bite out of his sandwich.

"Yeah, There's something I've been wanting to ask you for a while now," Todoroki said, lowering his eyes. Zen gave him a questioning look as the air around the two became more tense.

"Just who exactly are you? By the look in your eye, I can tell you're a lot like me, but there's also something else," Todoroki said. After sitting in silence for a bit, Zen merely closed his eyes.

"I guess I know what you mean. You're the son of Endeavor, right? By the way you were looking at him during the previous events, I'm guessing he's the cause of the look of pain that's always in your eyes," Zen said.

"So you noticed. That's right. I want nothing more to prove that I can become a hero greater than to him. To reach the top when he couldn't without the need of his strength," Todoroki said with clear hatred showing through in his eyes.

"I see, so that's what drives you," Zen said, finishing the last bite of his sandwich.

"What about you then? Are you also striving for the top? Because if you are then it doesn't matter how strong you are, I won't be losing to you," Todoroki warned. Sighing, Zen stood up and tossed away his trash.

"The top? I honestly couldn't care less about that. If you want it then you can have it. It matters little to me," Zen said, his back turned to Todoroki. Todoroki was caught off guard by his reaction.

"You're not aiming for the top? Considering your strength, I assumed you would," Todoroki said.

"Something like that doesn't really mean anything to me. I couldn't care less if I end up as the number one or one hundredth place," Zen said.

"If thats the case then what are you going for then?" Todoroki asked.

"Nothing grand. The only thing I've been wanting for years now is strength. Strength like All Might's. The strength that can allow me to overcome any villain and protect everyone. So long as I can become strong enough to do that then I don't need anything else," Zen said, closing his eyes.

"That's what your goal is? I can tell how serious you are about this, but I want to know why," Todoroki said. Zen put his hands in his pockets before looking up.

"Like you said, we have a lot in common. I don't know the full details on what's going on between you and your father, but I can tell by the look in your eyes that he's the cause of your pain. While I'm sorry that he's caused you that pain, you should keep in mind that you're not the only one who's been through a lot," Zen said, his voice getting lower. Todoroki couldn't say anything in response, as Zen began heading back inside.

"Also, I'm not sure why you're purposely holding back your full strength when you fight, but I would appreciate it if you did not do that if we end up fighting," Zen said before walking away. Still taking in Zen's words, Todoroki could only stare down at his right hand before tightly clutching it.

O-O

After all the preparations were completed, everyone waited in anticipation on the stands before the first match was set to begin. Zen sat with his arms crossed while Todoroki was seated above him, carefully keeping an eye on the boy. Seated beside Zen was Momo, who was just as anxious for the first match to begin as everyone else.

"So, how do you think Midoriya will do in this match?" Momo asked.

"Well so far he's been doing very well despite limited use of his quirk. But this is a one on one fight, so it's hard to say for sure," Zen said.

"Do you think he'll be able to make it through like that though? His quirk is just as dangerous to others as himself. A long battle will be to his disadvantage," Momo said.

"Hey. What are you two talking about?" a familiar voice asked from behind. Turning around, the two were surprised by the sight of a smiling Hina. Instead of her usual formal doctor's apparel, she wore a short red jacket over a white t-shirt and jeans with white shoes.

"Mind if I sit here?" She asked.

"Of course not! But why are you here? Aren't you busy at the hospital?" Momo asked. Hina took a seat between the two, as she shook her head.

"Nah, Recovery Girl gave me a call, so they gave me a day off to come here to help out with the Sport's Festival," Hina replied.

"You know Recovery Girl?" Momo asked.

"Yeah, we go way back. She was the one who trained both me and our father in the medical field. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her," Hina replied.

"Hey Yaoyorozu, who is this?" Mina asked, leaning over her seat.

"Oh this is Takeda's sister, Dr. Hina Takeda," Momo introduced with Hina waving at them cheerfully.

"What?!" many of them exclaimed at the same time.

"R-Really?! I can't believe Takeda has a sister! You're so pretty!" Mina exclaimed.

"Wow, I have to say, I don't see the resemblance at all," Kirishima said.

"Hehe, yeah we get that a lot. Zen's looks takes more after our father while I'm more on our mother's side," Hina explained, unaware of a certain purple haired boy sneaking close to her leg.

"Oh wow, Takeda. You never told me you had such a babe as a sister," Mineta said, drooling as he rubbed up creepily against Hina's leg. Feeling the unwanted contact, Hina gasped before letting out a loud scream. In an instant her right hand emitted a familiar white glow and quickly uppercutted Mineta's face , sending the boy flying into the air with high pitched scream, as blood flowed from his nose. Soon he became a dot in the sky, as Hina felt embarrassment filling her core and put her hand over her heart while Momo and Hina reassured her.

"Yeah... she's his sister, alright..." Ojiro said, feeling a bead of sweat drip down the side of his face, as he saw Mineta quickly falling back down to earth.

"I-I'm sorry. That was just really... unexpected," Hina apologized sincerely. Jiro shook her head as she and Tsuyu caught Mineta by the collar before he hit the ground. He had a massive indention in the middle of his face where Hina's face was, and his eyes were rolled onto the back of his head.

"No, you have nothing to apologize about. We'll be sure to punish this little pervert later," Jiro said, glaring at the unconscious boy.

"Anyway... So what's going on with this match?" Hina asked, changing the subject as she readjusted her glasses.

"Midoriya is up first. He's up against someone named Shinso. I wonder what his quirk is..." Zen said.

"Actually I think Midoriya might be in trouble," Ojiro said from behind Zen's seat. Turning around, the three looked at him questioningly.

"Why do you say that?" Zen asked.

"Around when you went after Midoriya during the last match, I noticed something strange. One moment he was walking up to the other teams, and then suddenly they just stopped and let him take their headbands. I think his quirk is activated whenever he talks to his opponent, so I warned Midoriya about it before the match," Ojiro explained.

"Some sort of mind control quirk? That could be trouble," Momo said, putting her hand on her chin.

"Is it though? I mean if Midoriya knows how it works then it should be pretty simple for him to avoid it right?" Hina asked.

"I don't know about that. Sure it sounds simple enough, but if his quirk works by talking then I'm sure he's good at provoking his opponents, and Midoriya isn't exactly the best when it comes to keeping his emotions under control," Zen said, recalling his actions at the U.S.J. Right as he finished, it was time for the match to begin as the two students walked out from their respective sides towards the arena in the middle. Present Mic then explained the rules of the match, as well as how to win with any means necessary.

"So you do whatever you need to in order to win right? So in a way this is a test of spirit. In order to achieve your goals, you can't worry about what other people think about you," Shinso said, glaring at Izuku. Izuku felt unnerved by this but refrained from replying after remembering Ojiro's words.

 _"Whatever you do, don't talk to him. If you let him provoke you, it'll be all over," Ojiro's words repeated in his head._

"As long as you win in the end, does it really matter how you get there. That one invisible loser was going on about how she didn't feel like she did enough to move on, what a joke," Shinso taunted. Midoriya tightened his fists at his insults.

"Honestly who cares about something so stupid as that? The fact that she really wanted to give up her chance just like that probably means she was never fit to be a hero in the first place," Shinso's taunt easily reached out to Izuku, who felt his anger boiling over. Angrily walking over to Shinso, Izuku forgot all about Ojiro's warning as he bared his teeth in anger.

"Don't you talk about her that way!" Izuku yelled out, but as soon as he finished his sentence, Shinso smiled victoriously. Suddenly Izuku's body stopped in it's tracks, as he stared off ahead with blank eyes.

"That's it... I win," Shinso declared.

"That idiot! I warned him not to say anything!" Ojiro said in a panicked tone.

"W-What's going on?! The fight has just begun but it looks like Izuku Midoriya is completely frozen!" Present Mic announced as everyone looked on in shock. Zen frowned as he saw the emptiness in Izuku's eyes.

"You know you're lucky to have blessed with a powerful physical quirk, but that can only take you so far. Now turn around and walk off like a good little hero," Shinso commanded. After standing around motionless for a bit, Izuku slowly turned around and proceeded to walk towards the edge. Everyone began yelling out to Izuku as he got closer and closer to the edge.

"You need to turn around! What are you doing?!" Iida called out.

"It's too late, he's already under his control," Ojiro said, frustrated. Back down in the stadium, Izuku was able to hear everyone call out to him yet he wasn't able to move a single muscle in his body. All he could do was watch as his body got closer and closer to the edge.

"(N-No... This can't be the end...)" Izuku thought in a panic, as he tried everything he could to move but to no avail. Seeing his defeat drawing closer, everyone from Ojiro to All Might began panicking even more. Zen meanwhile was getting more and more frustrated as his grip on his arms were getting tighter.

 _"I'll be aiming for the top!"_

 _"I'm asking you to not hold anything back"_

"(Are you really going to be beaten here? Is this really your limit? If so maybe I was wrong about you)" Zen thought, his grip getting tighter which was only noticed by Hina.

Just as his foot was mere inches away from the edge, Izuku saw something beyond the darkness of the gate he had entered from. From it, he saw eight shadowy figures, each of whom had bright glowing eyes. In that instant, Izuku felt himself regaining some control of his body.

Zen's eyes widened as he felt a sudden overwhelming presence from Izuku's body. The power was enough to make him break a sweat momentarily. Before he had time to question it, a sudden shockwave was released around Izuku's body as his quirk activated. The impact caught everyone off guard, but especially Shinso, who saw that Izuku's eyes had returned to normal.

"H-How did you do that?!" Shinso asked angrily, as he saw Izuku now moving freely. After the smoke from the attack cleared, Izuku noticed that his fingers had been broken from the force. Holding onto them, Izuku stopped himself from answering, as he remembered Ojiro's warning. Turning to face Shinso, Izuku prepared to charge.

"Come on, say something. I didn't know you had so much power in your fingers, I'm really jealous," Shinso said, trying to get a reaction from Izuku. Ignoring Izuku started rushing towards the purple haired boy.

"(I know what that jealousy feels like, but even so I can't lose!)" Izuku thought.

"My quirk has always put me at a disadvantage, but someone blessed like you wouldn't understand that!" Shinso taunted.

"(I get it... even though he's right, I have been blessed...)" Izuku thought, feeling the strength in Shinso's words.

"Your lucky enough to have a heroic quirk! It'll be so easy for you to reach your goal!" Shinso yelled out angrily.

"(I've been blessed by others! That's why I'm here!)" Izuku envisioned All Might as well as all of his friends, as he used what strength he had left to push Shinso towards the edge.

"Say something, damn it!" Shinso yelled, as he delivered a swift right hook to Izuku's face, making his nose bleed. Quickly recovering from Shinso's punch, Izuku looked back with determined eyes, as he kept pushing harder against the boy.

"(I can't lose this! I'll do it for them!)" Izuku kept going nonstop as Shinso looked back to see the edge rapidly approaching. Moving quickly, Shinso punched Izuku's broken fingers, causing him to yell out in pain, as he let go of his grip on Shinso. Seeing his chance, Shinso grabbed Izuku's collar and used the momentum to try and throw him out. Recovering just in time, Izuku grabbed tightly onto Shinso's arm and used all of his might to throw the boy over his shoulder.

"(I won't let this be the end!)" Izuku slammed Shinso onto the ground as hard as he could, creating a loud smashing sound as the boy's back made contact with the hard concrete. Seeing his lower half, past the line, Midnight raised her hand.

"Shinso is out of bounds! Midoriya advances to the next match!" Midnight declared, as the crowd cheered loudly for the two.

"Wow, that was amazing! He was able to break through the mind control and pull off a victory," Hina said in a joyful tone. Zen said nothing as he let out a sigh of relief at Izuku's victory. Even so, he couldn't help but think back to the strange sensation he had felt just before Izuku broke through Shinso's mind control.

"(What was that? It felt like there were multiple presences coming from Izuku's body. What on earth was that power?)" Zen thought to himself, as he stared closely at the injured Izuku. After recovering, the two of them stood across from each other, as the match ended. Thinking back on Shinso's words during the match, the green haired boy looked at him nervously.

"Why do you want to be a hero? What's driving you?" Izuku asked. Shinso thought about his question for a while before remembering his past. Closing his eyes, he turned around and began walking off.

"You can't help what your heart wants," Shinso said before leaving. Izuku was speechless, as he felt the same way. Understand too well how he felt, Izuku could say nothing as Shinso walked off the stage. Just as he reached the exit though, he surprised by his classmates who began complimenting his abilities. Soon they followed by the audience who were also impressed by his abilities. Within seconds, he could hear the praise and encouragement from all sides, many of them from pro heroes. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. After years of being insulted and being told of how impossible it was for him due to his quirk, the newfound attention he was recieving made his heart jump a bit, and for just a moment, he felt himself regaining his strength and confidence. Smiling, he looked back at Midoriya, who noticed the drastic change in his expression. Suddenly he felt himself being put under Shinso's control again.

"(W-What? He got me again! But why? The match is already over...)" Izuku thought.

"Hey Midoriya... You should be more on guard. If your not then someone's going to end up beating you. You better not lose and make me look bad, you got it?" Shinso said, smiling before he released Izuku from his hold.

"You've got it! I promise I won't!" Izuku said confidently before feeling the pain in his fingers.

"Looks like I'm need. I'll be right back," Hina said, as she started heading towards the infirmary. Momo nodded at her, as she left.

"That Shinso is really something, huh?" Momo asked.

"Yeah, it must have been tough with everyone ridiculing his quirk up until now. But he showed his strength and never gave up. You've got to admire that about him," Zen said, closing his eyes.

"(Alright Midoriya, it'll be our turn soon enough. Don't lose until then, I want to see just who exactly are you...)"

O-O

"Excuse me, I'm here to- oh!" Hina said, as she entered the infirmary. She was surprised by the tall imposing figure of All Might, but it seemed as though he looked a little nervous for some reason.

"Oh, All Might, I wasn't expecting you to be here. Is Midoriya already gone?" Hina asked, looking around the room.

"Yes dear. Don't worry, his wounds weren't that bad, so I really didn't any help there. Still thanks a lot for coming," Recovery Girl said, smiling at the red head.

"Of course. After all you've done for me, it's the least I can do. After all, it's only because of you that I'm here today," Hina said, smiling at the elder hero.

"No, it was your own hard work that brought you here. I still remember the day Tremor and your father brought you to me," Recovery Girl said, thinking back to several years ago.

 _(Flashback- 10 Years Ago)_

 _"Come on, please for me!" Full Tremor begged with big hopeful eyes._

 _"Please, teacher. For me as well," a middle aged man with short and neat black hair and glasses said, bowing. He also had on a white doctor's coat with a white dress shirt underneath._

 _"Honestly, you two..." Recovery Girl said, annoyed as she rubbed the bridge of her nose. The sight of these two men before her made her sigh in annoyance with relentless request._

 _"I get that you two want me to teach this girl, but you do realize I'm a hero as well, right? Honestly Taku, I barely had the time to teach you when you were younger," Recovery Girl said, looking at the doctor._

 _"I know and you know I am eternally grateful for everything you've done for me, but there's no one better than you who can teach Hina. She's truly gifted and it would mean the world to her if you became her mentor," Taku said._

 _"Please Chiyo... I can promise you that these two children have a bright future ahead of them. I've seen just how amazing they are. I can teach Zen what I can in being a hero, but you're the only one who can show Hina the way to helping others her own way," Full Tremor said softly, his eyes full of determination that could easily be seen through his mask. Seeing her longtime friend and former student so insistent on this issue, the elderly hero couldn't muster the strength to argue. Chucking at him, Recovery Girl smiled at the muscular old man._

 _"These children have really grown on you, huh?" Recovery Girl asked with a big smile on her face._

 _"D-Does that mean you'll..." Full Tremor asked in a hopeful tone._

 _"I can't really refuse my friend and student when they're both so determined, now can I? I guess it couldn't hurt to teach her what I can. It's not everyday someone asks me to do something like this besides it's rare to see the two of you so worked up. She must really be something then," Recovery Girl said in an amused tone. Hearing her answer, the two men's faces instantly lit up._

 _"Come on in, Hina," Taku called out. The door then opened to reveal Hina, who had a nervous expression on her face._

 _"Yes Dad, what is it?" Hina asked before noticing the Recovery Girl, who waved at her from her seat. Seeing her, Hina felt her heat skip a beat, as she started blushing._

 _"N-No way! You're Recovery Girl! I can't believe it's really you! You have no idea how much I admire you!" Hina exclaimed with stars in her eyes._

 _"Oh, come on. You're making me blush," Recovery Girl said, while chuckling._

 _"But wait, why are you here? Dad and Grandpa made me come here without telling me anything..." Hina said questioningly as she looked at the two who flashed her a smile._

 _"Well actually, dear, we've been thinking for a while now about how hard you've been working on your medical training. You've always been far ahead of all of your peers, and you're already on your way to being an extraordinary doctor, but I think it's time for you to get more practical experience," Taku said._

 _"That's right, so that's why we thought you could use a mentor who can provide you with first hand experience. Then we realized who better than your father's former mentor," Full Tremor explained. After realizing what they meant, Hina's eyes widened, as Recovery Girl nodded in agreement._

 _"N-No way... I can't believe it," Hina said softly, putting her hands over her mouth._

 _"Yes, these two have been very persistent. They've spoken really highly of you, you know," Recovery Girl said._

 _"O-Oh this is so embarrassing. I'm so sorry if they've caused you any trouble. It's true that I want to learn from you more than anything, but I don't want to be a nuisance. I know how important your work is," Hina said, bowing her head politely._

 _"Oh it's nothing. In fact, I actually don't mind having a student. After all it's been a while since I've taught your father, and it's not too often that people want to take this path these days. I just have one question for you. Why do you want to become a doctor? What is it that is driving you when everyone else these days wants to become a hero?" Recovery Girl asked. Taking in her question, Hina thought about it for a while before closing her eyes._

 _"It's just... ever since I was a kid, I've always wanted to help people in pain. Like when my quirk first activated, it was dad who healed me and made me feel safe. Ever since then, I've always looked up to both him and you. As for being a hero, I've never really felt like that was something for me. I know Zen wants to be one more than anything, and I know he'll be an amazing one for sure, but even so... even the best heroes end up getting hurt," Hina then opened her eyes to reveal a burning determination in them._

 _"That's why I want to become a doctor who can be by my brother's side when he needs me. Every time I've healed him during his training, I've always felt so complete. I want to always be there for him both for him and for those he'll save. I want to help others just as much as he does, but I want to do it in my own way. That's why I need you to to please show me the way, Recovery Girl! You're the best as both a hero and as a doctor, and I wouldn't rather have anyone else teach me, so please... I need to learn from you, so that I can be useful when people need it most!" Hina begged, her fists tightening. Seeing her will, Recovery Girl couldn't help smile, as she remembered her own desire to aid her friends such as Full Tremor when she was younger._

 _"I see..." Recovery Girl said, as Hina raised her head._

 _"So then..." Hina was unsure of what the elder hero was thinking before seeing Recovery Girl turning over her seat, facing away from the three._

 _"Be sure to be punctual tomorrow. The lessons will start at eight. I hope for your sake that your studying habits and concentration are better than your grandfather's," Recovery Girl said, earning a pout from Full Tremor. Realizing that she had accepted, Hina could almost feel tears welling up in her eyes as her father gave her a thumbs up._

 _"I'll do my best!"_

 _(Flashback End)_

"Yes, I remember that day well. I can never hope to repay everything you've done for me. I'm sorry I haven't visited in so long," Hina apologized.

"Don't worry about it. I know all too well how hard you work each day. To be honest, the real reason I called you down here was to give you a chance to relax and cheer on your brother. You really need it, I can tell how tired you are just by looking at you," Recovery Girl said.

"You didn't have to do that... But either way, I'm really grateful for that," Hina said, smiling.

"Don't worry about it, dear. If I need your help, I'll be sure to call you. You should go back, your brother is up soon. I'm sure he'd appreciate having you there," Recovery Girl assured. Nodding at her, Hina was about to leave, but stopped and turned over to All Might.

"Oh and by the way, I wanted to thank you All Might," Hina said.

"Oh? Whatever for?" All Might asked.

"For being Zen's teacher. He looks up to you a lot, you know, ever since he's was a kid. You and our grandfather were always his heroes. I know he can be a bit of trouble sometimes, but I do hope that you'll continue to look after him," Hina said, bowing her head to him. As All Might looked at her, it appeared as though he was hesitating with something. Letting out a sigh, he continued to smile at her.

"I assure you it is no trouble at all. Young Takeda has the heart and skills of a true hero. As his teacher, I can promise you that I will look after him with all being until he has become the hero he will be. You have my word," All Might said, placing his hand over his heart. Hearing his words, she smiled at him as her brown eyes met his blue ones.

"Thank you so much," Hina said sincerely before leaving. As she closed the door behind her, large amounts of steam was released from All Might's body as he reverted to his normal form. Once it cleared up, Recovery Girl saw the conflicted look on his face.

"She's grown into a fine young doctor. I'm glad to see that she is doing so well for herself," All Might said in a low tone.

"When are you going to tell them the truth? You can't keep from them forever, you know," Recovery Girl said, looking at the blond hero. He let out a sigh, as he looked down to the ground.

"I know... But I don't feel like the time is right just yet," All Might said.

"It's already been six years. They deserve to know the truth. The longer you keep it from them, the harder it'll be for both you and them," Recovery Girl warned.

"I understand that, but I just can't bring myself to right now. Either way, I'm sure she can handle it when the time comes," All Might said.

"It's not her that I'm worried about," Recovery Girl said, looking directly into his eyes.

"Yes, Young Takeda... He was there both times, and the damage done to his heart is all too clear," All Might said with sorrowful look in his eyes.

"He has exceptional talent, far above his peers. A match for Full Tremor in his prime, honestly. But he won't be able to reach his true potential until he can overcome that pain in his heart. That's something he won't be able to do until he learns the truth, and you know it," Recovery Girl said.

"Yes, you're right. I want to do what is best for his sake, but for now, I can't tell him. Not until I've settled things with that man," All Might said, staring down at his hand before tightly clenching it. Before they could continue their conversation, a sudden tremor occurred in the office, nearly threatening to knock them both over.

"W-What is going on?!" All Might asked, as he felt the entire building shaking.

Up above in the stadium, everyone looked on in shock as a colossal glacier of ice covered hovered over a large portion of stadium. It casted a large shadow over the students as they looked up in amazement. In the center of the stadium where the ice originated, Sero stood frozen, as most of his body up to his neck was encased in ice.

"I'm sorry, but I was just feeling a little angry," Todoroki said, as he began thawing the ice around Sero.

"U-Unbelievable! What a quick and decisive victory for Shoto Todoroki! With now decided, we will begin the next match in a couple minutes while we clear the field!" Present Mic announced. As everyone stared up in awe at the ice hovering over their heads, Zen kept a close eye on Todoroki.

"(So this is how far your hatred for him goes, huh? Even so I can still tell you're holding back...)" Zen thought, as he saw the frustrated look on Todoroki's face before looking over to Endeavor on the other side of the stands.

"W-What unbelievable power... I knew he was strong, but this is..." Momo said in a nervous tone. She could feel herself breaking into a sweat at the sight before her, as she suddenly began feeling more anxious for the coming matches.

"He's pretty good, that's for sure. But you shouldn't stress too much about this. Just focus on your own upcoming match and you'll be fine," Zen said calmly, as Momo nodded.

"Right... Shouldn't you get going soon? Your match is up next, right?" Momo asked, putting aside her anxiety. Just then Zen felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking up, he saw Monoma's smiling face.

"We have our match up next, you know. Try not to be late. I'm really looking forward to this, you know," Monoma said happily in a mocking tone. Zen didn't bother replying, as the boy left to prepare for the match. After a bit of watching the ice being melted, Zen sighed before standing up.

"I guess I've got to get going," Zen said.

"Good luck, we'll be cheering you on," Momo said, as many of his classmates gave him a thumbs up. Nodding at them, the spiky haired boy began making his way inside before being stopped by Bakugo, who gave him a serious look.

"You'd better not lose to that bastard before we get a chance to settle things, got it?" Bakugo said seriously.

"Hm" Zen said, uncaringly, as he closed his eyes and proceeded to enter the building. Soon he reached the waiting room where he sat patiently for the match to begin. While there, he began to think about Izuku. First the image of the shadowy figure kept haunting his mind, followed by the powerful presence that Izuku exerted during his battle with Shinso. In particular it was the shadow that unnerved him the most. He tightly clasped his hands together on the table, as he tried to make sense of it.

"Why does he feel so familiar?" Zen mumbled to himself, as he noticed that his hands were shaking. Before he could continue to think about it, the light on top of the door flashed, signaling for the match to begin. Sighing to himself, he stood and shook his head.

"We'll settle this later. For now, I just need to focus on what's in front of me," Zen said, leaving the room. As he walked down the long corridor, the cheerful sounds of the audience grew louder, as the light in front of him got brighter. Reaching the exit, he began walking towards the center with Monoma on the other side doing the same.

"All right, folks! We are ready to begin our next match up. From Class 1-A, we have the calm and collected shooting star who has already made his mark in the first two events. The earthquake in human form- Zen Takeda! And from Class 1-B, the genius who still made an impressive showing in the previous in the previous event. The collector of quirks- Neito Monoma!" Present Mic introduced as the two reached the center, and stared at one another. From the stands a familiar group of boys held up signs, and chanting Zen's name. Beside them was a large group of girls who had similar uniforms as the boys. They had large pictures of Zen with hearts on them, and appeared to be swooning over him.

"You've got this boss!"

"Show him what you can do!"

"We're rooting for you Takeda!"

The students looked at them questioningly, confused by the sight of them cheering on Zen.

"Who are they? And how do they know Takeda?" Ojiro asked, scratching his head.

"Those guys are old bullies from Takeda's neighborhood. Apparently they look up to him now after he beat them up a while back. Now they're completely tame, although Takeda doesn't really like them. As for those girls, I have no idea," Momo said, confused.

"They look like some kind of fan club. Looks so embarrassing," Jiro remarked.

"This is totally not fair... How come Takeda gets all the luck?" Kaminari said with envy, as he and Mineta sulked.

"Yeah, those girls are from Zen's old school. They're hopelessly infatuated with him, sending him love letters constantly and all that, but honestly it annoys him to no end," Hina said, walking down the aisles towards them.

While anxiously waiting for the battle to begin, Momo looked over to see Hina returning and taking a seat next to her.

"Sorry I'm late. So who is Zen up against?" Hina asked.

"They said his name is Monoma. If I remember correctly, his quirk enables him to copy and use other quirks as if they were his own," Momo explained.

"His quirk allows him to use other quirks?" Hina asked.

"Yeah, that's what he did during the Cavalry Battle. He can even use multiple at a time," Kirishima said.

"That means if a quirk as powerful as Takeda's get's copied then he'll be able to gain a real edge over him," Izuku said, mumbling to himself.

"Do you think Takeda will be alright against something like that? Isn't he in trouble if his quirk gets copied?" Toru asked in a worried tone.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that. He'll win this, no problem," Hina said confidently.

"Why do you say that? You seem really confident even though you've never seen what the other contestant is capable of," Momo said, raising a brow at Hina's sudden confidence.

"If his opponent's quirk let's him copy others then this battle is already decided. I can tell just by looking at him," Hina said, as she watched Monoma.

"What do you mean?" Izuku asked.

"You'll see soon enough," Hina said, smiling at them, as they looked at each other, confused. Back down in the stadium, Monoma looked at Zen with mocking eyes, as he kept smiling at the boy.

"You know, you've really been making quite the impression so far. Everyone keeps talking about how amazing you are, and how you seem to be so much better than everyone else," Monoma said, looking at his hand. Zen stood unfazed by his comments, as Monoma continued on.

"But you know what? I realized something," Monoma said, smiling even wider.

"And what's that?" Zen asked uncaringly. Monoma's eye's narrowed as he reached his hand out.

"Despite how strong you or that Todoroki or even Bakugo seem to be, you're only strong because you've been gifted with powerful quirks. Without those powers, you would be just another ordinary person like us," Monoma said, as his hand began glowing much like Zen's.

"Is that right?" Zen asked, his eyes narrowing.

"It's just like Shinso said. You guys who are born with powerful quirks have it so easy. But let's be honest, if anyone else had quirks like yours then they'd easily be as strong as you. You Class 1-A guys think you're so much better with your strong quirks and little bit of extra experience, but we all know that anyone with quirks like those could do just as well in the same situation," Monoma said, tightening his fist.

"Let the match begin!" Midnight called out. Without skipping a beat, Monoma rushed towards Zen, his fist glowing ever more with the air around it visibly getting distorted by the waves being emitted from it.

"That's what I'll show everyone right now! That you're not nearly so tough when up against the same power. I hope you're ready because I'm about to shatter that tough guy act in front of everybody! Let's see what this quirk can really do!" Monoma taunted. Despite the approaching threat, Zen didn't seem the least bit fazed nor did he take a stance. Instead, he closed his eyes and stayed still right in his spot.

"W-Why isn't he moving?" Izuku asked in a panicked tone. Everyone shared his concerned, as the watched Zen remain calm and motionless even with Monoma quickly closing the distance between the two. The only one who wasn't worried was Hina, who remained just as calm as her brother.

"Just wait for it," she said, her soft brown eyes watching carefully through her glasses. Unable to understand what she meant, they could only watch on as Monoma was less than a second away from Zen.

"Hah! Are you finally realizing that I'm right?! Don't worry I won't hit too ha-" Suddenly as Monoma got closer to Zen, his vision started to blur. For some reason, he felt a dull pain pass through his body before losing his balance, as he fell down with a loud thud. Still unable to process what had just happened, he felt the urge to vomit, as he started to sweat profusely.

"W-What's going on?" Monoma cried out in a panicked voice. He was barely able to lift his head up, and as he did, he felt a growing pain in his right arm. Slowly moving his head to the side, his fears were realized by the sight he saw. Lying to the side of his body was his broken and twisted arm. It was already turning purple from the trauma to his bones and muscles with several of his fingers clearly twisted and dislocated. His face grew even paler at the sight, as the magnitude of the pain quickly began to rise.

"A-Ah... Arghhhhhh!" Monoma cried out in pain, his screams resonating throughout the arena, as everyone looked on in shock. Zen reopened his eyes, as he looked down at the battered boy beneath him.

"W-What d-did you d-do me?!" Monoma cried out, his breathing becoming more uneven and forced.

"You really should study the quirks that you intend use before you copy them. This is on you," Zen said coldly, as he placed his hands in his pockets.

"W-What just happened? His arm just broke out of nowhere!" Uraraka said, shocked.

"This is why I said this match was already decided. The moment he copied Zen's quirk, it was all over," Hina said.

"What do you mean? I still don't understand," Momo said.

"This is the nature of the Quake quirk. True, it is exceptionally powerful and lethal, but only if the user is strong enough to wield it. This is why Zen trained all that time with our grandfather," Hina said.

"W-Woah! What an unexpected turn! Did something go wrong with Monoma's quirk?" Present Mic asked.

"No. His copying of Takeda's quirk worked alright, but he underestimated it's power. While it's true that not everyone is born equal and that some quirks are certainly more powerful that others, a powerful quirk doesn't necessarily mean a practical one. And just because a quirk is strong, it's not reasonable to assume that there aren't some kind of catches to them," Aizawa explained.

"So how exactly does that quirk work then? Takeda's always used it so easily and I've never once seen him injured from it," Ojiro said.

"That's because Zen has practically mastered it at this point. After years of intense training with our grandfather and by himself, he's learned how to use it perfectly. As for how it works, I've explained to Momo already. His body naturally emits earthquake like shockwaves, and he can increase or decrease the magnitude at will. Theoretically there is no limit to the strength of the waves that could be produced, but that's not realistic," Hina explained.

"But how come Monoma got injured from it?" Momo asked.

"That's because he lacked the two fundamental qualities needed to use that quirk. First is the physical strength required to withstand the waves. Zen's body is still human, meaning that he is not immune to his own shockwaves. Your body has to have the durability and toughness required to withstand the immense pressure," Hina explained.

"I get it... That's why his normal punches are strong enough to hit me through my hardening and why he seems so powerful even when he isn't using his quirk. He needs to be that strong to use it," Kirishima realized.

"Exactly. And the second requirement is the ability to regulate magnitude of the shockwaves your body produces. You have to be able to know exactly what your limit is and how much your body is able to handle at a time. Your physical strength is tied to the strength of waves your body can handle so that's why the only way to effectively use this quirk is through intensive training," Hina said.

"I see... so that means that your his physical prowess correlates with the strength of his shockwaves. That explains why Takeda is able to produce such powerful attacks and bubbles. It's because of how strong and skillful he is. So if he keeps getting stronger, so will his quirk," Momo said, putting his hand on her chin.

"That's right. His quake bubbles and his dashes in the air are highly advanced techniques that require extraordinary durability. The backbreaking amounts of work that put in have produced the results you see in him now. As for his opponent, who has no experience with this quirk nor the adequate physical strength to use, that's exactly what happened to Zen and I when we first awakened our quirks," Hina said, rubbing her right arm, as she remembered the first time it broke.

"I get it now... So in a way, it's very similar to Midoriya's quirk. They're both incredibly powerful, but require high amounts of control and strength to use effectively or else they deal great harm to the user," Iida analyzed.

"So he's a lot like me..." Midoriya said, shocked by this revelation.

"Yeah, but the difference is that he's actually mastered his quirk and doesn't get hurt by it," Kaminari said jokingly before getting a death glare from his classmates, particularly Jiro.

"So what now?" Momo asked.

"Nothing, this battle is over and Zen knows it. With wounds like that and shock from it, there's no way he can keep fighting. I'll probably have to go and heal him in a bit," Hina said, as she continued to watch the match.

"Go get those wounds tended. My sister and Recovery Girl will get it fixed right up," Zen suggested.

"Y-You think this is over?" Monoma said, as he forcibly tried to stand up using his remaining arm. Zen was surprised when the boy was able to slowly and shakingly bring himself back onto his feet. His hair was disheveled and his face was scrunched up from the pain, yet despite this, he was still smiling.

"This isn't over... yet... I won't lose again to you... Class 1-A frauds..." Monoma was barely able to force out those words as his breathing only grew heavier.

"I surprised by your tenacity, but you need to realize your limits. We can battle any other time you want, but right now those wounds need immediate attention. You won't be fighting anyone like that," Zen said, looking at the boys mangled arm.

"Ha... Ha... Are you really that afraid to fight me? Are you that scared... to embarrass yourself in front of everyone?" Monoma forced out a laugh, as his body began to shake more violently. Letting out a sigh, Zen turned his back to the boy and began walking away.

"This fight is already over. Say whatever you want, but there's no point in me fighting an injured opponent," Zen said, walking further away.

"What a pitiful excuse! Just what I'd expect from a fraud like you! Someone who was born with everything can't even imagine what everyone else has to go through!" Monoma taunted, his sweating getting more intense, as his vision continued to sway even more.

"What's the matter with him? He looks like he's losing it..." Ojiro said.

"His mind is still in shock from his sudden injuries. He probably doesn't even realize half the things he's saying. Right now he's just spewing whatever comes to mind without much thought," Hina explained.

"I don't really care. Just hurry up and get yourself healed," Zen said, unfazed by his taunts.

"Of course you don't care! How can someone like you, blessed with a powerful quirk and is in Class 1-A, possibly understand?! All you of you guys are the same. Going on about being the number one hero, getting everyone's respect, and achieving your dreams! All That is so easy for guys with privilege like you! But in the end, you're just a poor excuse!" Monoma said frantically, his lips shaking with each word. Zen continued to ignore him, as he just kept going on his way.

"You're nothing more than a pathetic wannabe hero! I bet you'll accomplish nothing as a hero, assuming you even make it that far! Even if you do, it'll be all thanks to everything you got from your parents, I bet! Must be nice to have a family that gives you everything! A great quirk, money, chances to get into any school, connections to heroes! You can't even begin to know how much harder it is for normal people like us!" Monoma continued his relentless taunts, and although he was getting a bit more irritated, Zen just paid him no mind.

"And by the way, I heard your grandfather was the hero Full Tremor! Man it must be nice to be related to a famous hero, even if he was a loser" Right then, Zen stopped in his tracks. Seeing this, Monoma realized he finally struck a cord.

"Y-Yeah that's right. Even though he was a famous hero and was number two for a while, he still ended dying against an unknown villain! What a joke! A real hero should be able to emerge victorious no matter what and he failed! I bet your parents were also ashamed by that. That's why I bet they did whatever they could to get you into this school, right? So how does it feel knowing that you belong to a family of failures, huh?!" Monoma taunted with a light laugh.

"Hey, that is going too far!" Momo said angrily. She then noticed that many of the heroes in the stands began talking amongst themselves.

"Wait did he say Full Tremor?"

"Yeah, he did"

"That quirk... That's why it seemed so familiar!"

"I didn't know he had a grandson... I can definitely see it now!"

"It looks like everyone's realized," Hina said.

"No way, he's related to Full Tremor? The former number two hero?" Iida said, shocked.

"It makes sense. I just realized that they do in fact have the same quirk, and some of his techniques are the same as well," Ojiro said.

"I see, so we are alike after all," Todoroki said quietly to himself. Suddenly he felt a chill up his spine, as a sudden feeling of dread passed over him. It was enough to make even him break a sweat. He wasn't the only one, everyone else felt it too. Even Bakugo and Iida felt overwhelmed. Looking down they realized it was from Zen.

"Oh no, this is bad..." Hina said in a concerned voice.

"What is this feeling?" Momo asked, feeling her heart race. Looking over, she noticed the boys from Zen's neighborhood began trembling in fear. They're eyes held a look that told her that they had seen this before.

"That kid went too far. Even Zen has his limits..." Hina said, quietly as she looked concerned for her brother who still had his back to Monoma. He was looking down so the expression on his face was blocked.

"What's the matter? Did my words hit home?" Monoma asked mockingly, oblivious to the dense bloodlust in the air.

"Are you done yet?" Zen asked coldly. Monoma raised his brow before suddenly being caught off guard by the ground around Zen shattering as if it had just been stuck by a boulder. He still stood completely still, as the ground around him continued to break with the cracks spreading further towards the edges. The event was so sudden that Monoma was unable to mutter another word, as Zen began to slowly turn back towards him. When his face became visible, Monoma felt genuine fear seeping into his already racing heart. For the most part, Zen's facial expression was the same cold, emotionless one as usual, but the key difference was his eyes. His eyes held true rage and darkness within them as they pierced through Monoma completely.

"H-Hey, what's with that look. Did I make you ma-" Within less than a second, Monoma's world got flipped upside down, as he felt his vision blacken for a split second. After regaining it, he couldn't even process what occured, nor could the audience. In that time, Zen had rapidly closed the distance between the two before grabbing Monoma's face and slamming the back of his head into the ground, creating a large crater where Monoma's held was still being held by Zen. Stomping a foot on Monoma's remaining hand, Zen hovered over the boy with his hand still tightly clutching the blond boy's face, his nose and mouth now dripping blood.

"W-Wha..." Was all Monoma could muster, as his mind had yet the process the attack. All the while, Zen stared down at the boy with his icy gaze which did little to hide the intense hatred he was feeling.

"You know... you were saying a lot of interesting things there... Do you mind finishing your thoughts?" Zen asked coldly, his death grip unrelenting around Monoma's chin. Monoma couldn't say anything but inaudible ramblings, as he felt his heart was about the explode.

"Let me tell you something... There's nothing I can't stand more than guys like you... People who go on and on about pointless things like rank, titles, birthrights. What a joke," Zen said, staring directly into Monoma's eyes, which could not get any wider.

"When you're out there fighting against villains with lives on the line including your own, no one is going to care about what rank hero you are, what school or class you were in, or who you are related to. None of that matters when you're about to lose your life," Zen said, tightening his grip even further, earning him another pained groan from Monoma.

"All that matters in this world is strength. Without strength, you can have all the precious titles, fancy quirks, and connections you want, but it won't do anything when the villain's take away what's dear to you," Zen said, his eye's growing even darker which frightened even his classmates and the pro heroes.

"You have no idea what it's like to be stared down by a much more powerful villain, inches away from death. So don't you dare to pretend like you know anything about me or my family," Monoma felt Zen's hand emitting a certain force and he began to panic.

"That's right... You were saying something about wanting to see what my quirk can really do, right? Here, have a close look," Zen said, as a quake bubble formed around Monoma's head.

"W-Wait! Pleas-

"Quiet. I've heard enough from you," Zen's voice was colder than anyone had ever heard. Tightening his grip on Monoma even further, he prepared to launch his attack. Monoma began kicking and screaming like a maniac, but he couldn't move with Zen's foot on his arm, and the hand around his chin.

"N-No! Please! I'm so-"

 **"Grand Shock"**

The bubble instantly expanded, creating a massive shockwave that encompassed the entire area, pushing back even Midnight and Cementoss from the sheer force. Concrete and earth shattered as the bubble completely decimated the arena, leading little pellets to begin raining back down. After the cloud of smoke cleared, everyone was left speechless. In the center of the destroyed arena was an unconscious Monoma who lied in the crater. His eyes were rolled into the back of his head, as blood came from his ears, nose, and mouth. His mouth was open, as his face held a look of pure pain and shock. Standing over him, was Zen, who was rubbing his forehead. Seeing the sight before her, Midnight hesitantly raised her baton.

"Neito Monoma is unconscious, therefore the winner of this round is Zen Takeda!" Midnight announced.

"Dammit... I lost my cool..." Zen mumbled to himself, as he let out a sigh.

"Man that was brutal! Don't you think that was a bit much?" Present Mic asked.

"No. Monoma shouldn't have provoked his opponent so much. He already lost after sustaining that injury. If a predator doesn't show any interest in you then you should consider yourself lucky and take that chance to fight another day, not try and make it angrier. This should be a good lesson for him in the future. I promise you, he won't be forgetting this anytime soon," Aizawa said.

"U-Unbelievable. That was just insane," Kaminari said in a shaking voice.

"It's been a while since this has happened," Hina said.

"What? What do you mean?" Toru asked.

"You know Zen well enough by now that he's not really one to get emotional, but once someone pushes him over the line, that person will really regret it. Honestly this could've been much worse, but this is still a pain. I'd better go and get to the infirmary," Hina said, getting up to leave.

"Honestly that idiot Monoma had to go and piss off one of the scariest people here, Kendo said, feeling sorry for her classmate. Many of the students and pros were still shaken by the overwhelming power that they just saw, but one who was feeling it very heavily was Todoroki, who was feeling much more tense after seeing it.

" _You should keep in mind that you're not the only one who's been through a lot"_

"So this is you can do... Can I really beat you with just my ice alone..." Todoroki said, staring down at his hand as he began to doubt himself. While many had their attention on Zen, there was one who was paying a particularly close eye on him from high above. Standing from the shadows of one of the pillars at the top of the stadium, a tall and slender, yet muscular man in ninja garb watched stealthily. He had grey hair shaped into three sharp points and mask over his face.

"So Full Tremor, this is the legacy you've left behind," the man said before disappearing back into the shadows. Meanwhile down below, Momo and Izuku were both deep in thought, as they watched Monoma being put on a stretcher to be brought to the infirmary.

"(Takeda and Todoroki... They both have such strong drives and strengths... Can I really compare to them?)" Momo thought as her hands and knees were trembling.

"(Takeda... We're actually more alike than I thought... But why does he look so sad?)" Izuku thought, as he watched Zen walking back inside. There the two's gazes met, for what felt was only a few seconds, felt like a couple hours. Turning away, Zen closed his eyes and walked back inside with Izuku feeling more tense than ever.

"Well folks, these first matches have certainly been exciting, but it's not over yet! And now let us begin the next matches!"

 **And dones! Wow this chapter came out a lot longer than I originally thought. Also sorry Monoma fans who feel this is bit too out of character but keep in mind, his brain is kinda panicking from the experience and trust me, you end up saying lots of things you don't want to when under heavy stress. Anyway I felt like putting another chapter out on this story just as a bit of an apology for taking so long last time. So anyway thanks again for reading and I'll see you guys next time on Promises of a Hero!**


	9. Resolves and Doubts

**Ok guys, I'm finally back. Sorry for the long absence, it's just that summer classes, work, and everything else have really been eating up a lot of my time so I've really been slowed. Hopefully things will stay calmed down for a bit so I can catch up on these stories. Anyway, I really appreciate all the reviews and messages from you guys, it really motivates me to try and get these out, but enough of that! Just sit back and enjoy the chapter.**

Chapter 9: Resolves and Doubts

"Honestly, that brother of yours!" Recovery Girl said in an annoyed tone.

"I'm really sorry about him..." Hina apologized, bowing to the elderly hero in front of her.

The two of them were currently in the infirmary where they had been using their quirks to heal Monoma, who was still unconscious following his match against Zen. While most of his injuries had been tended to, his face still held a look of pain and shock. Finishing their work on the boy on the bed, Recovery Girl sighed as she leaned back on her chair.

"His personality is nothing like the old man's, but he's just as hot blooded, I see. Now if he could just learn to control his emotions," she said.

"Ever since those two incidents, he's pretty much closed off his emotions to everyone. He pretty lets nothing faze him unless it comes to our family. After that... well you saw what happened. Luckily compared to the other times, he was holding back a good amount still," Hina explained.

"This is holding back? Well either way, I suppose you can't blame him for being angry. This boy really did go too far with the things he said, this was all brought on by himself," Recovery Girl said, looking at Monoma.

"Again, I'm really sorry about the all the trouble," Hina apologized. Recovery Girl shook her head, smiling.

"You still haven't changed a bit. Don't worry about it. It's a doctor's job to deal with these kinds of things, isn't that right?" Recovery Girl asked. The red head smiled, as she nodded at her former mentor.

"But still... That boy is truly talented. I'd wager he's already strong enough to be a pro hero. But... no matter how strong or talented he is, until he is able to confront and overcome those emotions of his, he won't be able to move forward as a real hero," Recovery Girl advised.

"You're right... I haven't been able to help him at all in doing that... It's something that's always and still pains me so much, that I'm so useless despite being his older sister," Hina said with a sorrowful smile.

"Hina..." Recovery Girl looked at her apprentice with sympathy. Hina shook her head.

"Don't worry about me, Ma'am. I've accepted that I can't be like grandfather, who always was there for Zen. Even so, I know he'll meet people who can help him. People who can open his heart and push him further than ever. Until then, I'll do whatever I can to help him achieve his dream from the sidelines," Hina said, her eyes shining with determination that Recovery Girl instantly recognized.

"(Hm... Takeo, Taku, Hana... You've really raised some fantastic children... If only you two were here to see how far they've come)"

O-O

Slowly making his way back to the stands, many of the other students began to move away in fear as Zen walked down the aisles. Taking his seat next to Momo, she gave him a worried look.

"You're finally back. Are you alright? You've been gone for a while," Momo said in a concerned tone. Zen shook his head, as he crossed his arms. His eyes were back to their usual cold look except this time, he looked a little more tired.

"I just needed a bit of time to cool off is all. Sorry you had to see that," Zen apologized.

"Don't worry about it. It wasn't your fault. I'm just glad you're feeling better," Momo said.

"Yeah, it's fine, but you never told us you were related the Full Tremor. That's really something," Kirishima said.

"It's not really a secret. It's just that no one asked," Zen said, closing his eyes.

"Come on, guys. It's probably sensitive topic. We shouldn't bother him with it," Iida said, but Zen shook his head.

"No it's fine. I don't want to make a big deal about it. Anyway, what have I missed?" Zen asked, turning back to the match in front of him. The match in front of him was between Mina and Aoyama, who appeared to be caught in a tough battle with Mina using her acid and Aoyama with his laser.

"Well while you were gone, Ojiro won his match against Sado. It was a pretty close match, but Ojiro was able to knock him out of bounds," Momo explained. Zen then felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking back, he saw that it was Ojiro, who smiled at him.

"That means we'll be fighting next. I'm looking forward to it, Takeda," Ojiro said.

"Alright then. This should be interesting," Zen said in his usual emotionless tone earning him a nervous chuckle from Ojiro.

"After that, Kaminari lost his match while Iida advanced in his," Jiro said, laughing at a frustrated Kaminari.

"Anyway, I should probably get going. My match with Tokoyami is up next," Momo said, standing up. Zen could notice her hand was shaking while she had a distant look on her face.

"What's wrong? You look a little pale," Zen asked.

Momo shook her head. "It's nothing. Just a little nervous, I suppose, but I'll be fine," Momo assured, but Zen wasn't convinced. He could feel the uncertainty coming from her voice, as she began to walk away.

"The match between those two will be tough. They're two of the best in our class after all, it's only natural to be nervous," Iida said. Upon hearing the crowd cheering louder, they turned their attention back to match where Mina appeared to be sliding rapidly towards Aoyama, who clearly began to start sweating from his usage of his quirk. She then sprayed her acid in his direction, landing a direct hit on his belt. The boy began to panic as the belt began malfunction from the burning acid. Using that chance, Mina slid over to Aoyama and delivered a swift punch his face, sending him flying out of the ring.

"And that is settled! The winner of this match is Mina Ashido!" Midnight announced, followed by a loud cheer from the audience.

"Wow, that was impressive,"

Zen looked over to see Hina making her way over to her seat, as she watched the match with interest.

"Oh, you're back. How's that guy doing?" Zen asked. Hina smiled at her brother, as she sat down.

"Don't worry about him. Recovery Girl and I took care of him pretty easily. Although, she wasn't happy with how rough you were with him," Hina said, chuckling.

"I'm sorry for causing you trouble like this," Zen apologized.

"Like I said, it's fine. I know you were holding back. Just try to hold back a little more next time," Hina said, patting him on the shoulder. She then looked up to see Mina and Aoyama returning to the seats above them. Aoyama looked like he wanted to throw up, as he tightly held onto his stomach while Mina's face was beaming with happiness with her win.

"Hey Mina, I saw that match. That was really great," Hina congratulated.

"Thank you! I'm actually really glad I made it this far. Now I can't watch to see Momo and Tokoyami's match," she said, sitting behind the red head.

"Oh? Momo is up next? I can't wait to see this. I'm sure she'll do amazing out there," Hina said confidently.

Meanwhile in the waiting room, Momo stood close to the door, as she took a deep breath. She couldn't stop her hands from shaking, as she anxiously listened to the loud cheering coming through the walls.

"Can I really do this?" Momo asked quietly to herself. She felt her heart beating rapidly, as images of the previous matches kept playing through her mind. First was the colossal ice attack from Todoroki. She could still vividly see it towering over her, as well as how quickly it ended the match against Sero, who was by no means a pushover. She then held her arms tightly as she thought about Zen's fight. The intimidation she felt from Zen's presence when he fought Monoma continued to persist long after the fight had ended. She recalled not even being able to see Zen move before his quick and powerful finishing of the other boy which left the arena in tatters. All confidence that she had before the battles seemed to vanish without a trace, as she could no longer think straight.

"Even if I manage to win here, what can I even do against those two... I knew they were strong, but... I can't even compare..." she bit her lip before seeing the light above the door flash, indicating for her to enter the arena. She put her hand over her chest and took another deep breath in an attempt to calm herself.

"(No... I can't afford to think about that now. I have to show that I'm capable too)" she thought before leaving the room. Walking through the long corridor, she eventually found herself outside at the bottom of the massive stadium. She proceeded to walk towards the center arena while looking over to the stands where her classmates sat.

"Good luck out there, Momo!" Hina shouted out along with several of the other students. She smiled back at them and nodded before turning over to look at Zen, who appeared to be focused on the center. His cold expression made her more nervous than usual before shaking her head and looking back in front. Soon she reached the stage where she stood face to face against Tokoyami, who appeared unflinching as he prepared to fight.

"And now for the next match, we have two more students from Class 1-A. On one side, we have the shadow wielding samurai, Fumikage Tokoyami! And on the other we have the creation user who made in with outstanding recommendations, Momo Yaoyorozu!" Present Mic announced.

"How will this match go?" Ojiro asked.

"Timing is the most important thing here. Both of their quirks are very versatile, but the first seconds of the battle will be key," Izuku said, scribbling in his notebook. Zen nodded, as he carefully watched the two.

"I see... Momo's creations take a bit of time to create, but they can easily turn the tide of battle if she can manage to make them. The question is if she can manage to do it before he knocks her out," Hina said, adjusting her glasses.

"(This isn't going to be easy... Tokoyami's Dark Shadow is effective in both offense and defense and it can be summoned instantly. He'll no doubt attack right away. If I can just make a shield, I should be able to defend against it long enough to make a weapon, but I'll need to be quick or else this match will end just like...)" her mind then played back to Monoma and Sero being defeated in their matches, distracting her from her thoughts.

"And now let the match begin!" Present Mic shouted. Caught off guard, Momo's eyes widened, as she was shaken out of her thoughts by sudden announcement.

 **"Dark Shadow!"**

Tokoyami's beast appeared from his chest, charging rapidly at Momo.

"I have to hurry. Shield!" a small metallic shield formed from her right arm just in time to block an attack from Dark Shadow.

"(Now to attack!)" Momo tried to conjure a weapon into her other hand, but at that moment Dark Shadow circled around, bashing right into her shield. It continued to attack over and over, not giving her any time to use her quirk. It continued it's relentless barrage until one of it's attacks knocked her shield out of her hand. Circling around once more, the dark creature charged head on at the now open girl

"(I need to hurry!)" she thought frantically, as she formed an even larger shield at the last minute, just barely blocking the attack. The force however was still enough to push her back a fair distance. Composing herself, she braced for Tokoyami's next attack only to see that he was standing still with Dark Shadow.

"(What's going on? Why has he stopped? No... This is my chance!)" she thought, as she quickly created a staff with her free hand.

"Yaoyorozu is out of bounds! The match is over!" Midnight announced. Suprised, Momo looked down at her feet. Her eyes widened, as she saw that she had been pushed past the boundary line.

"The winner is Tokoyami!" Midnight said, raising her baton into the air.

"Wow! Yet another fast and overwhelming victory! What a surprise!" Present Mic said in astonishment. Tokoyami bowed before heading back in, leaving Momo to stare blankly ahead.

"I-I lost... I couldn't even... do anything..." she said quietly. She looked up to see many of her classmates looking sympathetically at her including Hina. Zen looked on before closing his eyes. Feeling all the strength leaving her body, she slowly made her way back into the stadium, her eyes filled with sorrow and disappointment.

"(I really... can't even compare... to any of them...)" she thought, as she cursed her own weakness.

"Tokoyami is so strong! I can't believe it!" Izuku said excitedly as he scribbled down the details of the fight into his notebook.

"Yeah he is, but poor Momo... She worked so hard to get here... I'm sure she must be crushed by this," Hina said, frowning sympathetically.

"Yeah... she must be so upset, I feel so bad..." Jiro said with Mina and Tsuyu agreeing, each having a sympathetic expression for their friend.

"Zen, what do you think?" Hina asked. Zen's expression remained unchanged as he reopened his eyes.

"It's unfortunate, but that's just how it is. Tokoyami was simply the stronger one of the two. He fought well, using all of his strengths to his advantage," Zen said coldly.

"Come on... Aren't you being a little cold? She's your friend, isn't she?" Hina said frowning at him.

"Hm" he replied simply, aggravating his sister, who pouted at him.

"(Still, something was off. It's unlike her to be so unfocused at the beginning... And her creations were slower than usual. I wonder what happened?)" he thought. As Present Mic began announcing the next match, Zen let out a sigh.

"(I guess it doesn't really matter. I just need to focus on my own matches. Todoroki, Iida, Tokoyami, Ojiro and Bakugo. With those four, I should be able to get a worthwhile battle. And then there's him...)" Zen looked over to Izuku, who was still intently writing down in his notebook.

"And now for the next match we have Ejirou Kirishima of Class 1-A and Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu of Class 1-B!"

Down in the hallway leading back to the top of the stadium, slow footsteps echoed in the quiet corridor with the cheers outside getting further and further away. Momo was slowly making her way back with a solemn expression on her face. After seeing no one else around, she came to halt and leaned against the wall. She tightly clutched onto her arm, as she stared blankly at the ground.

 _"I want you to know... I won't lose to you. I'll fight with everything I have at the sports festival, so please Takeda... will you do the same?"_

"I said all that, and I couldn't even make it past the first round..." Momo said quietly as she thought back to the match. She felt her heart ache, as she remembered all the disappointed looks on her friends faces including the disinterested look on Zen's face when he closed his eyes. Sighing, she slowly slid down the wall until she reached the floor. Hugging her knees to her chest, she closed her eyes and tried to relax, but the battle continued to rewind in head over and over. She buried her face into her knees, as she thought more and more about the battle.

"I really can't compare to any of them... I'm so pathetic..."

O-O

A while later, Momo made her way back to the stands where her friends all looked at her with worry.

"Are you feeling alright, Momo? We've been worried about you," Mina asked in a concerned tone. Momo gave her a weak smile and shook her head.

"It's fine. I just needed a little time to myself is all. I'm feeling better now," Momo said, putting on a strong face, as she sat beside Hina.

"Don't feel so down, Momo. You did amazing, making it so far. I know you'll get even better from here, so don't worry about it," Hina reassured, putting her hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Yeah... you're right," Momo said, forcing a smile yet Hina was able to see right through her facade. Before she could press further, a massive explosion occurred in the middle of the arena. Looking over, they saw a massive pillar of smoke rising into the air.

"What just happened?" Momo asked, briefly forgetting about their previous conversation. All of them looked down, anxiously waiting for the smoke to clear. As it began to fade, they saw an unfazed Bakugo standing at the center of the smoke with a heavily wounded Uraraka standing across from him. She was breathing heavily while struggling to maintain her balance. She had a horrified look on her face, as small bits of debris rained down all around them. Shaking her head, her eyes opened to reveal a look of fiery determination within them.

"I'm... not done... yet," she said weakly as she prepared to continue fighting.

"Hmph! That's more like it! Let's go, Uraraka!" Bakugo yelled, as he began charging at her. Slowly moving her foot forward, she tried to meet him, however before she could take another step, she felt her body going numb. Not even a second later, she collapsed onto the ground.

"N-No... I can still... fight," she muttered, slowly crawling forward. She shakingly reached her hand up, refusing to give in. Even Bakugo was taken aback by this, as he watched her trembling body on the ground. Soon her mind went blank, as her hand hit the ground with a light thud. Midnight rushed over to her, and touched her unconscious body.

"Uraraka has been K.O'ed. The winner of this match is Bakugo!" she announced followed by loud cheers. The boy stared blankly at the girl before quietly leaving.

"And that's a wrap to this disappointing outcome! We'll take a quick break before heading on to the second rounds!" Present Mic said with a hint of biased disappointment in his voice.

"Man that was rough... Poor Uraraka..." Mina said, clutching her hands together.

"She fought well to the very end. Ultimately though, Bakugo was simply stronger," Zen simply stated. Hearing his words, Momo's eyes lowered, as she balled her fists up.

"(Everyone has fought so hard in all their matches... Meanwhile what about me...)" she thought, as she bit her lip. Izuku then stood up quietly and left without a word.

"Midoriya?" Iida called out, but Izuku continued on his way without a word.

"They're close friends, right? He must be feeling pretty bad about her then," Kaminari said.

"Not only that, but his match with Todoroki is up next. I'm sure he's feeling pretty nervous about that too," Ojiro said, feeling nervous about the coming match.

"(Midoriya and Todoroki, huh?)" Zen looked down at the empty arena with a distant look. Hina saw this, and couldn't help but wonder what her brother was thinking.

After a short while, the second rounds were set to begin with the first match between Izuku and Todoroki. The two boys stared each other down with the tension in the air being thick enough to cut.

"How do you think it will end with these two?" Hina asked nervously.

"Between the two of them, Todoroki should have every advantage. Although, Midoriya has surprised us before. Either way, I doubt this will be a quick fight," Zen stated.

"True, we'll need to see whether or not Midoriya will be able to get close or have a plan," Tokoyami said.

"All right everyone! Let's get on to the second rounds, shall we?! On one side, we have the student from the hero course, who effortlessly won his last match, Shoto Todoroki! And on the other side, we have the student who made a stunning comeback with amazing power, also from the hero course, Izuku Midoriya!" Present Mic announced loudly.

"So here we are..." Todoroki said, glaring at the boy.

"And only one of us can win," Izuku said.

"Let the battle... Begin!"

"(Now!)" In an instant, Todoroki launched a massive wave of ice towards Izuku. Just before it reached him, Izuku pointed his fingers forward.

 **"Smash!"**

Flicking his finger, the power of his blast quickly began shattering the ice and continued all the way towards it source. Just before it could blow him away, Todoroki formed a wall of ice behind him to cushion the blow. After all the ice shattered, a cold gust of wind engulfed the area, catching everyone by surprise. Zen was unfazed by this, as he carefully looked at the green haired boy while the wind blew through his hair.

"(He overcame the attack, but how long can he last?)" Zen thought, seeing the state of Izuku's middle finger which was severely broken and twisted from the power of his quirk. Seeing Izuku's finger, Todoroki immediately unleashed another wave of ice. This time Izuku prepared his index finger, as he powered up his quirk.

 **"Smash!"**

Once more, the attack quickly destroyed the ice, but failed to knock Todoroki out.

"Is that all? Let's keep going!" Todoroki said, summoning even more ice. Using his ring finger, Izuku fired yet another shot, blowing even more ice through the area, yet breaking his third finger.

"These two are really going at it, but Midoriya is taking way more damage," Momo said.

"Yeah, but it's not like it's easy for Todoroki either. There's a limit to how much ice he'll be able to use. Midoriya is likely trying to exploit that and wait for an opening," Zen noted.

"I see, but will he get it at this rate?" Momo asked.

"It's hard to say. We don't know the limit's of Todoroki's ice yet, and Midoriya will have to find it soon. He only has so many more shots to make. That opening won't matter if he's not able to fight anymore by the time he gets it," Zen said, as he watched the the two continuing to attack each other with their respective quirks. By the time, Izuku broke his pinky finger, Todoroki used the chance to create a path of ice towards Izuku. Using his other hand, Izuku shattered the ice with another blast, but by then, Todoroki was already above Izuku. Izuku jumped back just before the dual haired boy slammed his fist into the ground, causing even more ice to appear. It then continued all the way towards Izuku, who didn't have any time to land before it caught his foot. This time instead of a normal blast, Izuku opted for a full punch. Smashing through the ice with even greater force than before, Todoroki was pushed back a fair distance, but stopped himself with another wave of ice. Izuku's eyes widened upon seeing this, as he realized his gambit didn't pay off, costing him his arm.

"Todoroki is really something... He was even prepared for that, and now Midoriya's arms are both broken," Ojiro said, sweating.

"Even so, he's still not going all out, and Midoriya is virtually out of options with his arms in that condition," Zen said. He noticed Todoroki's right arm shaking ever so slightly.

"(So he's reaching his limit now... but it's too late. Midoriya can't fight anymore like that)" Zen thought seeing Izuku's trembling body. Todoroki then sent yet another wave of ice, this time intending on finishing it once and for all.

"I'm not done yet!" Izuku proclaimed, as he fired yet another shot of his quirk, shattering the ice to bits. This caught Todoroki by surprise as he was sent flying from the force. Just before he went over the edge, he was barely able to summon enough ice to stop him. Zen's eyes widened as he looked at the sight before him. One of Izuku's fingers was even more broken than the others, turning a dark shade of purple from the attack.

"Unbelievable... He used his broken finger?" Zen asked in a surprised tone

"Why are you going this far?" Todoroki asked, unable to believe Izuku's state before him

"As if I'm anywhere near done yet... We're all giving it our all here, to win and make our dreams a reality... To become number one! If you think you can beat me with only fifty percent strength then you're wrong! So come at me with all you've got!" Izuku shouted, tightening his fist with fearsome determination. Zen felt his heart pulsing at the sight of the boy. Once more behind him, he saw a shadowy figure with the same pose as the boy. This time, it's figure became a little more clear, resembling a tall muscular man. It was still foggy, but Zen could make out more features such as their hair and what appeared to be a cape or mantle behind them. Hina saw the shocked look on the boy's face which turned pale and was beginning to sweat.

"Zen? What's the matter?" Hina asked with concern. Hearing her voice, he was snapped back to reality and blinked. This time the figure disappeared. He was still filled with uncertainty, as his breaths became ragged. Putting his hand on his forehead, he shook his head and regained his composure.

"Takeda?" Momo looked at him with concern. She was not used to seeing Zen in such a state. His usual calm and emotionless expression was changed if he had seen a ghost.

"It's nothing... I just felt a little chill, is all," He assured, as he rubbed his forehead. He put his hand over his heart, and could feel it pulsing violently.

"(What the hell? This again? What is this nostalgic feeling that I'm getting from him?)" Zen thought, as the shadow's image lingered in his mind.

"Midoriya, what are you trying to do here? You want my fire?! If this is about my dad then you'll regret it!" Todoroki yelled angrily, as he rushed towards the injured boy. This time, however, something seemed off.

"He's slower..." Hina said, squinting.

"Is he reaching his limit with his ice?" Bakugo thought.

"(In his condition, there's no way he can avoid me at close range)" Todoroki thought, jumping up. His eye's widened as the moment he leapt up, Izuku moved towards him. He tightened his fist, as allowed his quirk's power to flow through him.

"(Come on... I've got this... I've got this!)"

Moving in, Izuku smashed his fist into Todoroki's stomach. The force blasted him across the field, but just before he was sent away, the boy managed to freeze Izuku's arm, causing the boy to yell out in pain. Todoroki was knocked near the edge on his side, as he recoiled from the blow.

"His punch was weaker there..." Zen commented, noticing the lack of power compared to the previous ones.

"With his arm like that, it shouldn't be a surprise, but what a wasted opportunity. Todoroki even managed to land an attack like that also," Iida said.

The two continued to clash, each of whom noticeably getting weaker. Todoroki's ice began slowing down even further while Izuku's blasts began losing their power as he continued to use his broken fingers. Despite his injuries, Izuku continued to relentlessly fight back despite the worsening conditions of his arms.

"This is really bad... At this rate, his injuries will keep getting worse!" Hina said, worriedly.

"Why is he doing this? I get wanting to win the match, but this is going too far..." Zen said, frowning.

The two fought relentlessly with Todoroki creating yet another wave of ice. This time, Izuku's hands trembled, as he attempted to make a fist. His fingers were horribly mangled and disfigured to a point where he could barely even raise his hand. Seeing the attack mere inches from his face, he did the unthinkable and put his thumb into the sound of his mouth. Using it as a slingshot, he fired off yet another blast, knocking Todoroki back even further.

"(Why?)"

"Why are you doing this?! Have you lost your mind!" Todoroki asked, slowly standing back up to see Izuku clumsily running towards him with his mangled arms dangling behind hm.

"What I want is... to live up the expectations placed on me. To do something good for others with a smile... I want to be a pro hero!" Izuku shouted. This caused Todoroki to momentarily be distracted by a voice within his head. He then felt a piercing pain in his stomach as Izuku smashed his head into him, knocking the boy back onto his back.

"That's why I'm going to give this fight everything I have! Like you should be doing!" Izuku said angrily through ragged breaths. His words seemed to have an effect on the boy, as suddenly his movements slowed enough even for the injured Izuku to land another punch on him. Todoroki dropped to his knee from the attack, but it seemed that he was struggling with something more than his physical wounds.

"I-I refuse to use... my left side," he said lowly, as he struggled to get up.

"It's yours! It's your quirk! Not his!" Izuku cried out.

"It can't be... Is this what he was going for?" Zen said quietly.

"What is it?" Iida asked. Right then they all felt something coming from the arena, something warm. This feeling quickly became a scorching one, as a massive whirlwind of flames emerged.

"It can't be, he's using his fire?!" Iida said surprised. They were all taken aback by the intensity of the flames which seemed to get hotter and more fearsome by the second. Even Zen was caught off guard by this, but not by the fire, rather what led to it.

"(You've finally decided to go all out, huh? But Midoriya... This is what he was going for...but why?)" Zen thought.

Izuku was frozen in place at the sudden change, as he saw all the ice debris melting around him.

"You really are something. Helping an enemy even though you want to win. Now which one of us is screwing around?" Todoroki said, as the fires completely engulfed his left side. Izuku noticed something was different about his enemy's tone as he stared in awe.

"I want it too! I want to be a hero!" Todoroki declared, as the fires burst even hotter. The two slowly began smiling as they stared at each other.

"Whoa! That kid's completely changed," Hina said in a surprised tone.

"A-Amazing, he's still getting stronger even now!" Momo said.

"It's about time he decided to show his real self. This wouldn't be interesting otherwise," Zen said, his lips curling upward just a little bit, yet still far from a smile.

"Amazing..." Izuku stared at the bright display of might before him.

"What are you smiling for? With those injuries in this hopeless situation... Don't blame me for what happens next," Todoroki said, as ice began forming on his other side. Izuku simply continued to smile, as he pulled his arm back for another punch. Seeing the impending clash coming, Cementoss and Midnight both activated their quirks to try and stop the two. By then the ice around Todoroki practically exploded all around as it launched him forward at a blinding speed while Izuku charged his leg and burst forward towards the boy. The two immediately made it to the center where they each prepared their final attacks with Todoroki raising his flaming left hand while Izuku lunged forward with his full power punch.

"This is it! Come at me with everything you've got, Torodoki!"

"I see now... Thank you, Midoriya..."

Just before they made contact, Cementoss' walls raised between them, but they didn't last long as they were effortlessly blasted to bits by the overwhelming force of both attacks. The resulting clash created a blinding light followed by a massive explosion with force that blew even Midnight and Cementoss away.

"U-Unbelievable! What power!" Hina cried out, as she resisted being blown out of her seat by the force.

"What's happening down there?!" Momo yelled as she and Hina held onto each other. Zen was completely shocked by the sudden force, as he sat speechless while powerful gusts of wind and debris flew through him. The explosion was so massive that it was even seen and felt by people outside of the stadium, who could only look up in amazement and shock.

After the force began to die down, everyone looked down and anxiously waited to see what was left after the clash. After the dust finally settled, everyone gasped upon seeing both students still standing on opposite ends with everything in between them completely destroyed. Moments later, a tired looking Izuku collapsed onto the ground. The place where he collapsed was over the edge meaning he was knocked out of bounds, but Todoroki came to a stunning realization, as he looked down at where he was at. His feet were also just barely past the boundary meaning he too was out of bounds. Midnight took a little time to process the scene before her before she hesitantly raised her baton.

"Both students are out of bounds! This match is a draw!"

"I-I can't believe it! That attack was unbelievable! And an even more stunning conclusion is that both contestants are out of bounds! What will this mean for the students? We'll have to wait and see! For now, we'll take a break to get the arena back in order" Present Mic announced nervously.

Everyone was left speechless at the outcome, but none more so than Todoroki who stared blankly at the unconscious Izuku on the opposite side of the stadium. His breaths were long and heavy, as he slowly raised his left hand which was still producing steam from the heat of his quirk.

"Oh boy, I should probably get down there," Hina said, as she saw Izuku being placed on a stretcher. After she left, Zen stared intently at the two down there, his expression having returned to normal.

"A draw... that's amazing," Momo said quietly.

"He did all that so Todoroki would use his flames... but what he did to his body was just..." Zen's grip on his arms tightened, as he became noticeably more agitated. He glared down at sight of a severely wounded Izuku being taken away. In particular the state of the boy's arms really got to him.

"What's wrong, Takeda? That face you're making looks a little scary," Uraraka said nervously, noticing the scowl he had.

"Hm... I wonder how they'll deal with this tie? Will there be some kind of tie breaker like with Kirishima?" Iida asked.

"Maybe... but I wonder if Deku will be alright... Those injuries look pretty bad," Uraraka said, concerned.

"He'll be fine. My sister and Recovery Girl should be able to handle it. However he keeps this up then he won't have much of a future," Zen said before getting up from his seat. Seeing this, Ojiro got up too.

"Our match is up next. Takeda, I'm feeling pretty fired up after seeing that fight, so let's give it our all," Ojiro said, making a fist.

"Right..." Zen said simply before leaving.

"Hey guys, is it just me, or did Takeda look pretty angry?" Toru asked.

"Yeah... It looked like he was mad about Midoriya for some reason. I wonder why..." Ojiro contemplated.

"(That's not all... He looked really out of it during the match too... I wonder what's going on)" Momo thought with concern.

O-O

"U-Urgh..." Izuku groaned, as he slowly opened his eyes. Looking up, he saw the ceiling of what he assumed was the clinic.

"Looks like you're finally awake," a soft voice said from his side. Slowly moving his head to the side, he was met by the smiling face of Hina, who was checking his the equipment attached to him. Beside her was Recovery Girl, who gave him an irritated look.

"Recovery Girl? Dr. Takeda? What happened?" Izuku asked weakly, as felt a severe lack of strength. He could barely muster the strength to raise his head enough to see his bandaged body on the bed.

"You can just call me Hina, and it's been about half an hour since your match. You really made quite a show out there, you and that other boy fought to a draw," Hina informed him.

"A draw? What's going to happen now?" Izuku asked.

"We don't know yet. They're still deciding how it will be settled," Hina said.

"Instead of worrying about that, you should be more concerned about your own body! You just never listen, do you?!" Recovery Girl reprimanded. Bowing his head nervously, he apologized.

"I'm really sorry!" Izuku apologized.

"What's the point in sorry if you're just going to do it again?!" Recovery Girl yelled, whacking him on the head with a ruler.

"Ma'am, isn't that a bit harsh? But still, she's right. You really need to take better care of yourself from now on. Even with both of our quirks, there's only so much we can do for injuries like that," Hina warned. Izuku looked down at his bandaged hand. Pulling some of the bandages off, his arms seemed normal again, however this time there was a very light scare on his hand. While it was very faint, it was still noticeable.

"With our combined quirks, we were able heal you much more effectively, but as you can probably see, there's a limit to how much we can do. If you keep destroying your body like this, your wounds will get worse and worse to a point where even we won't be able to heal it. If this keeps going on, your body will inevitably break," Hina said, her eyes dead serious behind her glasses. Izuku felt a bead of sweat sliding his face at her words, as he stared down at his hand.

"Sorry if I'm sounding negative, but you need to know. You're lucky to have made it through that with just that scar, but if you hurt yourself to that degree again, it will be much worse, so please be more careful from now on. I know you really want to win, but you have to take your body into consideration," Hina said, taking off the rest of his bandages.

"I'm really sorry..." Izuku said, his eyes lowering apologetically. Hina smiled at him, as she finished removing the bandages around his arms.

"Still... I know you did it for that other boy. I'm not sure what all that was about, but I can tell he looked a lot better afterwards," Hina said.

"You think so?" Izuku asked.

"Yeah. He looked so gloomy before, but after he smiled during that match, I felt the air around him becoming a lot calmer. You really are too nice, you know that?" Hina said with a light chuckle.

"Don't encourage him! He'll just get into more trouble!" Recovery Girl said in an irritated tone. Before Izuku could continue to apologize, they were interrupted by loud cheering coming from the TV hanging in the corner.

"Hm? What's going on?" Izuku asked, squinting at the TV.

"Oh yeah, you were out for a little while. Zen's match is on now," Hina said. The three of them stared at the TV which showed a match between Zen and Ojiro, who appeared to be caught in a fast paced close combat match.

O-O

In the arena, the two students were in the center where Ojiro was on the offensive. He was launching a constant barrage of tail strikes witch punches and kicks being thrown in for support. His assault was relentless against Zen who was having to block attacks on all sides.

"Whoa! Ojiro is really going all out, at this rate, he might win!" Toru cheered.

"He knows how powerful Takeda's quirk is. His plan is likely to constantly keep attacking so he won't have to chance to make his move," Iida analyzed.

"Yeah, but doesn't Takeda look really calm? Even though Ojiro has been attacking a lot, none of them have gone through Takeda's guard yet," Tsuyu said. Just as she said, Zen was easily blocking all of Ojiro's attacks despite their intensity. He quickly blocked against the boy's tail with his left arm followed by a kick with his right, all the while appearing completely unfazed.

"(Damn, I knew he was good, but at this rate, I'll never get through... After fighting with him earlier and at the U.S.J, I know I can't match him in a head on fight, but this is all I can do... He hasn't started fighting back yet, so I need to take advantage of this. If I can just get one solid hit in, I can use that to knock him out)" Ojiro thought before picking up the pace of his attacks. Each strike became harder and faster yet despite that, Zen still easily defended against each one. Jumping back, Ojiro took to chance to charge again, this time to use a spinning attack with his tail. His powerful tail was a like a tornado, constantly whipping against Zen's arms, as he tried to block it. The attack was strong enough to to slowly push Zen back, drawing him closer to the edge.

"He's doing it! He's almost there!" Kaminari said excitedly.

"No... Somethings not right," Momo said warily.

Zen came to a halt as he pushed right against the edge by Ojiro's attack. The tailed boy then whipped his tail against the ground, propelling him high into the air above Zen.

"Alright, this is my chance!" Ojiro said, as he began his descent. He used his tail to spin forward like a wheel which generated enough power to created a poweful gust of wind aroun him. Using this momentum, he came down with incredible force which crashed directly into Zen's position. His eye's widened, as he saw that he had been stopped. Looking down, his tail had been blocked by Zen, who crossed his arms above his head, stopping the boy right in his tracks. He caught a glimpse of Zen's eyes which were intimidating enough to send a shiver down his spine.

"That was an impressive showing. Your martial arts skills are good and your usage of it together with your quirk is smooth, however it's still lacking," Zen said, pushing the boy off of him. Landing away from Zen, Ojiro took his stance, as he warily kept his distance.

"All that and you don't look tired at all. You really are something else," Ojiro said through deep breaths.

"Now that I've seen what you can do, I suppose it's my turn," Zen said before bolting towards Ojiro. Immediately he threw a punch towards the boy which he narrowly blocked followed by many others. The barrage quickly became overwhelming, as Ojiro was instantly forced to begin moving back.

"He's so fast! Those punches look almost as fast as All Might's!" Uraraka said, gasping.

"Compared to back at the U.S.J, he's gotten even faster than before," Tsuyu said in surprised tone, as she recalled his fights with Tomura and Nomu.

"This whole time he was just testing Ojiro's power. Now he's finally showing off his own," Todoroki said. In his mind, even he was taken aback by Zen's sudden display. They continued to watch as Zen began forcing Ojiro closer towards the other side. Ojiro tried his hardest to block Zen's relentless barrage, but it proved futile. He could only manage to defend against a few punches before being struck by countless others to his face, side, and chest. The force from each punch was overwhelming, nearly enough to make him drop down right then and there if it had not been for him moving back to try and soften the blows. Even the attacks he blocked were quickly making his body go numb. He swore he could feel the bones within his arms, legs, and even tail vibrate against the other's boys punches. Looking back, he panicked upon seeing the edge coming closer.

"Are you sure you can afford to look away?" Zen's voice alarmed him, as he turned his head around, but it was too late. Zen was already right below him, past his guard. Before he could make another move, Ojiro felt a sharp pain on his chin, as he was struck by a swift uppercut which sent him flying straight up several meters. Right as he came to a stop in the air, he barely was able to force his eyes open to look down. He saw Zen taking a stance with his fists resting on waist while he closed his eyes. The black haired boy took a deep breath before tightening his fists. Ojiro could immediately sense an attack coming, so while he didn't have the strength to stop his falling, he mustered whatever he could in order to defend against it. Crossing arms and placing his tail over his chest, he was ready to block whatever attack was coming his way, as he began falling faster. Without looking up, Zen raised his arms in front of him and began moving them in a clockwise motion, each movement as fluid as water. His hands came to a stop near the center of his chest where his palms were open and faced forward, his left hand resting horizontally, and his right vertically. Right when Ojiro was directly in front of him, Zen quickly opened his eyes, and launched his palms forward with blinding speed.

 **"Gong Strike"**

His palms rocketed directly into Ojiro's tail. The attack created a deep indention into Ojiro's tail before sending a tremor through the rest of his body which made every bone and muscle vibrate. The power that came from the attack was completely unforseen by Ojiro, who felt himself coughing up saliva from the strike. He felt every part of his body going numb from the attack with fist being his tail then arms, chest, legs, and until finally his head went blank. The strike then blasted Ojiro away from Zen with unbelievable speed, crashing him into the arena wall which was felt by everyone in the stadium. Everyone looked on in shock when the dust cleared, finally revealing a knocked out Ojiro inside the crate within the wall until he fell down with a loud thud.

"Ojiro is out of bounds therefore the victor is Takeda!" Midnight announced followed by loud cheers.

"Wow! That was an impressive showing! Both of them showed off some really good moves there!" Present Mic said.

"It takes more than a strong quirk to win battles. Both of them have good combat skills and understand how to use them with their quirks. That will definitely help them grow even more in the future," Aizawa said through his bandages. While everyone continued to cheer, Zen began walking over towards Ojiro. The tailed boy was lying flat on the ground. He slowly opened his eyes and could feel his whole body aching.

"Oh man... Hm?" Has Ojiro raised his hand to his head, he saw Zen standing over him. He was then surprised when Zen reached out his hand. Blinking a few times by the unexpected gesture, Ojiro weakly reached his hand forward and grabbed on. After pulling Ojiro back onto his feet, Zen put his hands in his pockets and turned away.

"Your moves weren't half bad, but they were too predictable especially whenever you used your tail. Your tail attacks were too obvious, work on making it less linear and ore unpredictable," Zen said before beginning to walk away.

"Thanks for the advice, I'll keep it in mind," Ojiro said, looking down.

"But your martial arts are pretty good. I liked your moves and using it together with your tail was smart. Keep working on that, and I'll look forward to our next match," Zen commented before leaving. This surprised Ojiro, who smiled at his words before bowing to him respectfully.

O-O

Back in the clinic, Izuku watched the TV intently as he held his notebook.

"Wow... What a match! Both of their moves were so good! I need to record this," Izuku muttered before beginning to write down notes.

"You really like to study a lot of people's moves and quirks, huh?" Hina asked, looking over his notes.

"Well yeah. It's just that ever since I was little, I've always admired hero's a lot, so I want to learn as much as I can. Not only that, but since I don't have much control over my own quirk, I thought maybe having little more knowledge will help me use it better," Izuku replied.

"I see... you know, you remind me a lot of Zen when he was younger," Hina said, smiling.

"Really?" Izuku asked, surprised.

"Yeah, he used to be always watch heroes when he was a kid. He wanted to learn all he could so that he could become a great hero like our grandfather one day. His face would just light up every time he saw a hero on, and he would always write down little notes about everything especially when it came to our grandfather and All Might. When he had the chance to train with our grandfather, it was like a dream come true for him. Even when it was so hard and intense, and even when his body ended up broken like yours, I remember he would always have the biggest, brightest smile knowing that he was finally getting closer to his dream," Hina reminisced.

"His body broke like mine?" Izuku asked in a shocked tone.

"Yeah, all the time in fact, especially in the beginning. Just like your quirk, his quirk is powerful, but at a cost. His body would end up battered and broken on a daily, no an hourly, basis until he finally learned to control it and even after that when he became stronger, he still would end up injured from time to time. Even so, he honestly couldn't have been happier to learn more," Hina said.

"Wow, I never really knew... So what changed?" Izuku asked seriously. Hina's smile lowered a bit, revealing a hint of sadness.

"Well... A lot has happened since then. That's something you'll have to ask him about. I don't really have the right to say," Hina said. Recovery Girl looked at her sympathetically.

"I see. I'm sorry if it's hard to talk about, I didn't mean to pry," Izuku apologized.

"Don't worry about it, it's nothing. Anyway your injuries have been healed up so you're all good to go now. Please remember our warning, and take care of yourself," Hina advised. Izuku got off the bed and bowed to the two doctors.

"Yes I will keep it in mind. Thank you both so much," Izuku said before hurrying out. After the door closed, Recovery Girl sighed.

"Honestly these kids are such a handful. I just know he's going to end up hurting himself again," Recovery Girl said, shaking her head. Hina chuckled at her former mentor's reaction before looking up at the ceiling.

"Yeah he will. Those two really are exactly alike,"

Meanwhile as Izuku made his way through the halls back to the halls, he couldn't help but think back to Hina's words about Zen.

"(He used to be a lot like me? That's so hard to believe...)" Izuku began muttering to himself, as he continued to walk absentmindedly ahead.

"Our quirks are a lot alike, and he used to get hurt like me too... I wonder if he can teach me to-" As he was muttering to himself, he grunted as he hit his face on something hard in front of him.

"Ow..." as he rubbed his nose, he slowly opened his eyes. As soon as he saw Zen in front of him, he panicked.

"Ah! Takeda! I'm so sorry," Izuku immediately apologized. Zen had his usual calm expression as he carefully looked up and down the green haired boy's body.

"I see that your wounds have been all healed up, well mostly," he said, seeing the faint scar on his hand.

"Yeah. Your sister and Recovery Girl helped me out a lot. Anyway, congrats on your match. We should head back to the-"

"Wait," Zen interrupted, looking at the boy intently. Seeing his serious look, Izuku got even more nervous.

"You and I need to have a talk," Zen said.

"A-About what?" Izuku asked, gulping.

"Tell me. What exactly is that power of yours? It's not just some power enhancement quirk is it?" Zen said, recalling the shadows that he saw in the previous matches. Izuku instantly stiffened up at his question.

"W-What do you mean?" Izuku asked nervously.

"Every time I've seen you fight, I've been feeling a different presence coming from you. Each time, it feels different. I felt one at times while during your match with Shinso, I felt multiple that was completely different. What is it?" Zen asked seriously.

"Wait, what?" Izuku was genuinely surprised. First he was shocked that Zen had actually felt the different presences coming from One For All during his match with Shinso which he thought only he saw, but he was also actually unsure of what he meant by a different one during his other matches when he never felt anything. Either way, he couldn't reveal the secret of his quirk, so he had no choice but to hide as much as possible.

"I'm honestly not sure what you're talking about Takeda. My quirk can't do anything like that," Izuku said, not completely lying as he didn't understand the entirety of Zen's question. Zen sighed before turning away.

"I see you have no intention on revealing it then. Oh well, I suppose I'll have to find out personally if we fight," Zen said. As he began to walk away, he stopped causing Izuku to tense up again.

"Also... A word of advice. If we do get to fight. I strongly suggest you rethink your strategy. Attacking recklessly with no regard for your body will not go the same way with me as it did with Todoroki. I'm sure my sister already warned you of the consequences of doing that again. Don't even try doing so something so stupid again. That is not what I'm looking for in a battle," Zen warned in a harsh voice before leaving. While Izuku was taken aback by his harsh words, he swore that he felt genuine concern in his voice.

"Takeda..."

O-O

"Now die!" Bakugo roared as he blasted away Kirishima with an explosion. The force of the attack combined with Kirishima's already weakened state proved more than enough to knock him out cold immediately.

"Kirishima has been . The victor is Bakugo!" Midnight announced. With the conclusion of this match, Tokoyami's victory against Mina, and Iida's previous victory against Shiozaki from Class 1-B, the second round came to a close.

"Ah man, Kirishima was so close," Toru said.

"Bakugo planned that out well. He knew that even Kirishima's hardening had a limit and he took advantage of it. I suppose he's not just some hot headed jerk well at least when it comes to fighting anyway," Zen said, crossing his arms.

"Yes you're right. Also has anyone heard how the tie between Midoriya and Todoroki is going to be handled yet?" Momo asked. Everyone shook their heads before the speaker came on.

"Alright everyone! With the result of that match, the second round has come to a close! Now before we begin the third round, I have an important announcement to make! As you know, the match against Midoriya and Todoroki of Class 1-A came to draw. The judges have come to a decision to allow both of them to participate in the third round with the match ups being switched up! What an unexpected twist!" Present Mic announced excitedly.

"We both get to fight in the next round?!" Izuku said in a shocked voice.

"That's great, Deku!" Uraraka cheered.

"So that means the matches will be different. I wonder how it will be," Iida contemplated.

"(So there's a chance, we may have to fight again)" Todoroki thought, looking down towards Izuku.

"And here are the matches for the third round!" On queue, the board lit up with the names for the third matches. Everyone's eyes widened in shock as they saw the board.

Zen Takeda Vs Izuku Midoriya

Shoto Todoroki Vs Tenya Iida

Katsuki Bakugo Vs Fumikage Tokoyami

"My opponent... is Takeda?" Izuku said slowly. Everyone then looked over to Zen, who had risen from his seat. He looked directly at Izuku, his cold onyx eyes sending shivers down Izuku's spine. All Might silently watched from above them, his expression tense.

"So they're finally going to fight..." he said quietly, as he placed his hand over his wound.

"So I guess we'll decide this earlier than I thought. Good, I want to see just what kind of strength you really have," Zen said, baring his fist in front of him. Izuku swallowed hard as the two of them stared fiercely at each other. The two successors to legendary heroes were finally set to begin the battle that would shake the core of the hero world.

 **And there we go! Again, I'm really sorry for yet another delay. It's just been a very tough few months for me, but I'm honestly trying my best so please don't think I've given up. I also really want to thank all the messages you guys left for me, it really helped me get motivated. Also I have a question for you guys. What do you think Zen's hero name should be? I'm really curious about what you guys think and if I really like it, I may use it so please leave your feedback. So anyway enough of that and I'll see you guys next time on Promises of a Hero!**


	10. Breaking Through

**Finally we're here... I definitely didn't want it to take so long for a new chapter to come out, but life has it's own ideas. So anyway! Enough of that! Let's get on with the next chapter!**

Chapter 10: Breaking Through

"I knew that these two would have to fight each other eventually, but not so soon..." All Might said while twiddling his thumbs. Recovery Girl sighed as she turned to face him. The two heroes sat quietly in the infirmary as they awaited for the next match to begin. The muffled voices of countless people above the stadium could be heard through the walls.

"You should be more worried about that boy of yours. He is no condition to be fighting again. If he pushes his body as hard as he did in the last fight, he may deal permanent damage to his body that can't be healed this time," Recovery Girl warned.

"You're right. He doesn't have enough control over it yet. If only I was as good a teacher as my master and Tremor were. They would've been able to teach him how use it better by now," All Might said, frowning.

"There's no point in doubting yourself now. All you can do is move forward one step at a time and guide these children as best as you can. That's what they would want," Recover Girl said.

"I just don't know what to do now..." All Might said, sighing.

"You should get out there and watch them. That's all we can do now. As their teacher and role model, you have to see this through to the end and be there for both of them once this is over," Recovery Girl advised.

All Might closed his eyes for several seconds before standing up. His distant eyes were trained to the ceiling.

"Yes, you're right. I owe them both that much. I just hope these two don't take things too far," All Might said, heading for the door. After the door shut, Recovery Girl turned to the TV.

"Considering the ones who they take after, I don't think that'll be possible," she said, shaking her head.

O-O

"So guys, how do you think this will end?" Kirishima asked. Looking over at his classmates, he could see that they were all anxious about the coming match between their classmates.

"You would think Takeda has a full advantage, right?" Jiro said.

"It's true. His quirk is really powerful and he's fighting abilities are top notch. I don't think Midoriya will be able to win this," Ojiro said.

"No way! Deku has a chance. I know it!" Uraraka said in a determined voice.

"I want to think so too, but it's going to be pretty tough. Both of their quirks have immense power, but Takeda's control is much greater and he's mastered it enough to where it doesn't damage him like Midoriya's does. What's more is the difference in skill in combat is also great. The gap between them might be too much for Midoriya to overcome..." Iida analyzed.

"Come on Iida, have more faith in Deku," Uraraka pouted.

"I don't know... I think that Midoriya has a pretty good chance," Hina said, shocking those sitting around her.

"Really? You think so, Hina?" Momo asked, confused by her sudden statement.

"Yeah, I do. In terms of power between their quirks, Midoriya's is as strong, and possibly even stronger than Zen's. And when it comes to skill like you said, I think Midoriya might be able to surprise us like he did in his last match. I think if he times his attacks right, and plans carefully, he could possibly win," Hina said.

"I guess you have a point, but I thought you would be rooting for your brother," Mina said, confused.

"I am. I'm just giving my thoughts on how this could go. You never know what can happen," Hina said, smiling.

Before they could press her further, the announcements came on, indicating that the match was about to begin. While the crowd began getting louder in anticipation, their cheers began to echo through the hall that Zen stood in. He ran his hand along the wall as he slowly walked forward. He could feel the gentle breeze coming from the end of the hall and he closed his eyes as he felt a sense of nostalgia.

 _(Flashback)_

 _Loud thuds echoed throughout the open field, each resonating through the thin air on the mountain. A younger Hina stood on the side, tightly grasping her hands together as she watched the sight in front of her. Zen and Full Tremor were exchanging rapid blows between them, their fists a flurry as they each tried to get the upper hand on the other. While Zen put up a good effort evading and countering a decent amount of his grandfather's attacks, it was painfully obvious that the old hero had the complete advantage. Each blow that he dealt was much stronger and precise than Zen's with each hit, even the ones that were blocked, being painfully loud as they made contact, causing Zen to wince at the impact of each strike. Eventually, Zen reached his limit and one of Full Tremor's strikes broke his guard, knocking both of his arms to the side. Seeing his opening, Full Tremor lunged forward and drove his fist into the side of Zen's face. The force of the blow sent the boy flying back before sliding against the ground on his back. Once he stopped, Zen was out of breath with a big bruise on the side of his face. Seeing the fight was over, Hina quickly ran over to her brother while Full Tremor let out a deep breath._

 _"That's another win for me! One hundred and fifty two to zero! Haha!" the older man exclaimed in an amused tone._

 _Hina's eye twitched in annoyance at the man's jovial attitude while putting a hand on Zen's back to help him up._

 _"Jeez, you're way too proud at beating up a kid. Can't you at least hold back a little? One of these days, you might hurt him too much for me to heal him!" Hina warned while using her quick on her brother's face. The soft blue glow from her hand hovered over her brother's bruised and swollen cheek. Slowly the bruise returned to his normal color and sunk down until it looked like the wound was never there. Afterwards, she began working on his other injuries while the boy rubbed his cheek._

 _"Don't worry sis, it's fine. Sure it hurts a lot sometimes, but I'm really enjoying this. I really feel like I'm learning a lot from each fight," Zen said, flashing her a big smile._

 _"Haha! That's the spirit!" Full Tremor said, smiling back at the boy. Hina sighed and shook her head at the two._

 _"Honestly, you two are hopeless," Hina said, frowning. Full Tremor gave her a sympathetic look before sitting down on the grass beside them._

 _"Don't worry. I wouldn't put him through anything he can't handle. Besides in the past year and a half, you've come much further than I ever thought you would. Honestly I don't have much choice, but to get serious to really teach anything more at this point," Full Tremor said, rubbing his hands through his gloves._

 _"I've learned a lot from you, but I still haven't been able to beat you once yet. I feel like I'm not getting much closer" Zen said, giving his other arm to Hina after she finished healing the first one._

 _"Jeez, you're still just a kid. Give yourself a little slack. We've only been training together for a little while now. Of course you're not going to beat me yet. As long as you make sure that you are always stronger than you were after the last fight then you'll be on your way. Although, I'm certainly not going to let you beat me anytime soon," the hero said while rubbing his nose._

 _"That makes sense. Although it looks like it'll be a while before I can get a win. You've been working on your skill and quirk for so long, it's no wonder you're so strong. I don't know if I'll ever catch up," Zen said letting out a deep breath. Full Tremor smiled, and look down at his hand. It was slightly shaking after his recent bout with the boy._

 _"Well, it's not that simple. There's more to strength than just muscle and quirks, you know. While I do think that I have an abundance of both, it's not that where I get my strength from," he said. Zen gave him a questioning look._

 _"Where do you get it from then? Every time I've seen you fight whether on TV or our training, you always seem so powerful just like All Might. Isn't it that power that makes you two so strong?" Zen asked._

 _"No. It's the same with Toshi- I mean All Might. Just having muscle and a strong quirk can only take you so far. There's something else that makes the best heroes really strong. It's a bit difficult to explain, but there's just something that really makes you unbeatable, that makes any obstacle breakable. It's that where I get my strength from. That's what makes me do beyond my best in every fight I go into," Full Tremor explained, his eyes shining behind his thin mask. Both Zen and Hina tilted their heads at his words._

 _"I don't really get it. What do you mean?" Zen asked, still confused. Full Tremor snickered at the boys reaction before ruffling the boy's hair._

 _"Eh, forget it. You'll figure it out eventually,"_

 _(Flashback end)_

"Excuse me, Mr. Takeda. It's time to go," a voice called to him.

Opening his eyes, he realized he spaced out. The man in front of him was a staff member for the festival, and gave him a worried look.

"Are you alright, sir?" he asked. Rubbing his eyes, Zen shook his head.

"It's nothing. Just thinking is all," Zen said, as he walked past him. Each step he took, the voices on the other side grew louder, and the sun's glare grew brighter until he finally made his way out the hall. He was greeted by the sight of the packed stadium filled with hundreds of people who all cheered at the festivities. Paying them no mind he continued his path towards the stadium in the center. Steeling himself for the coming fight, Zen maintained his normal serious look while tightening his fists. Finally reaching the stadium, his eyes quickly met with his opponent's determined green ones.

"And here we are with the next match folks!" Present Mic's voice echoed throughout the stadium just as both students came to a stop.

"In this match, we have two exceptional students both from Class 1-A who have clawed their way this far! On one side, he has proven his prodigious skill in making it through each challenge and match with ease! The fighter whose fists break all in his path, tied for favorite to win, is Zen Takeda!" Present Mic announced followed by a roaring wave of cheers from the audience.

"Yeah! Go Boss! You've got this!" the group of boys from Zen's neighborhood cheered the loudest, waving banners over their heads much to the annoyance of those around them.

"And on the other side, a real wild card in this festival. He's been making one shocking display after another, and has made it this far with wit and tenacity! We have Izuku Midoriya!" he announced with yet another wave of cheers following.

The two of them stared intently at each other with the tension between them being thick enough for their classmates to feel.

"Are you sure you still want to go through with this? With those injuries you got before, I wouldn't recommend it," Zen advised. Izuku shook his head.

"I can't back now. I've come way too far to just give up. Even if I break my body, I'll still keep moving forward," Izuku said determined. Zen sighed in annoyance at his reaction.

"Fine then. You asked for this," Zen said, his fists growing tighter. Midnight walked up and raised her baton with neither boy taking their eyes off of the other.

"Begin!"

Immediately, Izuku jumped back away Zen. The green haired boy then began running along the outside of the stage, keeping his distance from Zen, who simply stood still and watched.

"Smart, he's keeping his distance for now," Hina said.

"Takeda can use long ranged shockwaves though, can't he?" Momo asked.

"Well yes, but it's not nearly as effective as his close ranged combat. His long ranged shockwaves are far weaker than the ones close up since it spreads out. While the range of the attacks might be good, he has no control over the concentration of the waves so it's power disperses all over. Midoriya's quick probably has enough power to break through them without too much trouble," Hina explained.

"That makes sense, but Midoriya has to be careful about attacking. I doubt he's fully recovered from his match with Todoroki which makes each move he make all the more crucial," Iida said, putting his hand over his mouth.

While continuing his pace around Zen, Midoriya carefully observed his opponent who still hasn't made a move.

"(I have to find an opening somewhere. From what I saw at the USJ, attacking him while his guard is up won't cut it. I need to wait for my chance and hit him with all I've got,)" Izuku thought. Coming to a sudden stop behind Zen, he raised his hand and began charging All for One into his fingers.

 **"Smash!"**

Flicking his finger forward, a powerful blast of air fired towards Zen. Seeing the attack coming, Zen shot himself up into the air, avoiding the blast. While in the air, he began releasing multiple shockwaves from his feet. Bouncing through the air, he propelled himself towards Izuku, until he was directly over the boy. Concentrating a quake bubble around his foot, he quickly descended towards his opponent. Izuku quickly rolled out of the way in time to avoid Zen's foot smashing the ground below him, seeing dust and debris all around them.

Once the dust cleared, Izuku rushed towards Zen, and tried to throw a punch while he wasn't looking. Unfortunatly, his fist didn't meet his target, as Zen stepped out of the way. Grabbing Izuku's arm while it was still outstretched, he dragged the boy forward before driving his elbow down towards his exposed back. Izuku gasped as a massive pressure sent him smashing down to the tiles on his stomach. He struggled to raise his head up only to see, Zen's fist descending on him. Just before it hit, the ground below them suddenly broke apart with the force blowing both boys away in opposite directions. Izuku was sent skidding along the tile before coming to a stop near the edge while still on his side. Zen landed back several feet away and narrowed his eyes. He was able to see that Izuku's middle finger on his right hand was now broken just like his index finger.

"(He fired at the ground to stop my attack and make distance between the two of us. Clever)" Zen thought, as he watched Izuku slowly stand back up. The boy was breathing heavily, as he tightly grasped his two broken fingers. Seeing his chance, Zen leapt towards Izuku. Izuku's eyes widened when Zen was directly in front of him. He tried to launch a punch towards the black haired boy, but Zen was easily able to grab his arm, and dragged Izuku closer to him. Throwing him slightly over his head, Zen sent an uppercut directly into the boy's exposed stomach. Izuku spat out in pain, as the punch launched him up into the air before landing in the center of the stadium with a loud thud.

The boy's arms shook, as he struggled to lift his body up. His breathing ragged and deep.

"S-So strong..." Izuku muttered, lifting his head to see Zen walking towards him.

"Are you done yet?" Zen said, watching the boy desperately struggle to lift his body up.

"No... Not even close!" Izuku shouted before using all of his strength to drag himself back onto his feet. He had one hand holding on to his stomach while another wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth. Once he recomposed himself, Izuku got ready to attack once more. Seeing this, Zen took his normal stance in preparation for it.

Leaping forward, Izuku ran straight towards Zen.

"(A frontal assault?)" Zen thought, as he braced himself. Just before Izuku came within arm's reach of Zen, he stretched his arm down towards the ground between them, before activating his quirk once more.

 **"Smash!"**

Flicking his ring finger, he shattered the ground between them in an instant. Zen shielded his face from the sudden gust of debris before losing sight of Izuku. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on the wavelengths from the ground. His senses there however were thrown off by blast which was still resonating against the ground below.

 **"Smash!"**

Hearing Izuku's voice from his left side, Zen quickly looked over just in time to see Izuku launching another blast towards him. With no time to evade, Zen formed a quake bubble around his fist and lunged forward towards the wave. He quickly felt a strong resistance against his bubble, but using all of his force, he quickly broke through with even greater force which sent a gust of wind blowing through Izuku's direction along with the ground in front of him being obliterated by the force of the impact.

"He overpowered Deku's attack?!" Uraraka said in shock.

"Those quake bubbles are highly condensed shockwaves. He can easily break through just about anything with that," Hina said.

"What power. That means the only thing that might be able to match that is Midoriya's punch, but there's no guarantee that it will, and it's incredibly risky," Iida said, remembering the damage Izuku's punch was able to cause during their tag team training.

While Izuku was still distracted by the outcome of the clash between their attacks, Zen launched himself towards Izuku with his quirk. Izuku tried to block, but Zen was easily able to slip through his defense before landing multiple punches to his side, arms, and chest. Finally, he dealt a powerful kick to Izuku's side which sent him tumbling back towards the ground on his back. Izuku groaned in pain before coughing up a small amount of blood. He feebly held onto his side, as he felt the pain raging throughout his whole being.

"This is pretty bad. Midoriya is completely outclassed. His long ranged attacks aren't cutting it, and he can't fight against Takeda up close..." Ojiro said.

"Not only that, but look at Midoriya's right hand. He's pretty much used up half of his attacks that he can afford already. If this keeps up much longer, he'll be in much worse shape than before," Jiro said.

"Deku..." Uraraka clasped her hands over her heart, as she watched her friend in pain.

Zen walked over to Izuku until he was standing over him.

"Do you get it now? You can't win this fight. The difference in strength is too vast. That's not something you can overcome," Zen said. Izuku glared at him, before firmly putting his shaking hand against the ground. Zen's eyes narrowed, as he watched the boy slowly push himself up. Every muscle in his body was trembling while his breathing became more and more uneven and ragged. By the time he finally stood up, his body was slightly hunched forward, but Izuku maintained a fierce stare towards Zen.

"I'm... not done... yet. I can still fight!" Izuku breathed out. Zen started getting frustrated.

"You idiot. Do you still not get it?!" Zen said angrily. Izuku then tried to run up to Zen and lunged at him with his left hand, but Zen easily side stepped him. Wasting no time, Zen delivered another punch another firm punch to Izuku's stomach. Izuku groaned in pain, but instead of falling back, he stayed firm even with Zen's fist still against his abdomen. He struggled to control his breathing, as he leaned a little on Zen's fist.

"There's nothing wrong with having spirit, but tenacity alone can only take you so far. Without strength, you can't win when it really matters," Zen said.

"You might be right, but even so!" Izuku felt a sudden surge of energy flowing through him, as he balled up his right hand, each broken finger crying out in pain as he did so. He raised his fist, and charging his quirk's power into it, he prepared to punch Zen with it. Seeing this simple movement, Zen was about to back out of the way again, but as he tried to do so, Izuku's determined eyes stared right at him. From behind Izuku's body, a faint silhouette formed, taking the same stance as green haired hero. Zen's eyes widened upon seeing this, and suddenly, he felt his body stiffen up. In that moment, he no longer was able to dodge, and in response to Izuku's incoming punch, Zen raised his arms up with his left arm raised to protect his face while his right arm supported it. As soon as Izuku's fist met his forearm, Zen felt the overwhelming force from it.

Grunting, Zen struggled to maintain his balance, as the punch sent him skidding back with the ground under him breaking from the force. By the time, he came to a stop, he was sent several meters away. Wincing, he brought his arms down to notice his left arm was now heavily bruised from the attack and was shaking.

"What power... He's as strong as that Nomu guy," Zen said, rubbing his arm which was throbbing in pain.

"(But what happened? Why did I freeze up?)" Zen thought.

"He finally landed a hit!" Tsuyu said.

"Yeah, but that's definitely not enough," Kirishima said. While everyone was talking amongst themselves about Izuku's comeback, Hina watched her brother intently.

"(What was that? Zen should've easily been able to evade that attack. Why did he stop all of a sudden?)" Hina thought, as she worried for her brother.

Regaining his composure after the attack, Zen carefully watched Izuku's tired frame. His arm was now more battered than ever before with dark blood dripping from his fingers onto the tile below. Even so, he still painfully clenched his fist, his bones creaking and cracking which Zen could hear clearly.

"I can't stop yet..." Izuku said while his fatigued body swayed slightly.

"It's obvious you're way beyond your limit. If you keep this up..." Zen warned, but Izuku stared at him intently.

"I know... But if I just walked away now then I'll never become the number 1 hero! That's why I'll keep fighting!" Izuku declared.

Zen felt a wave of anger pass through him. He grit his teeth, as he looked at Izuku's battered form.

"Number 1? That's what this is all about? You're willing to destroy yourself just for that?!" The ground below Zen fractured as his the shockwaves being emitted from his body intensified. Feeling his blood boil, he lunged forward towards Izuku.

Raising his leg, Zen aimed a kick towards Izuku's face. With barely any time to react, Izuku raised up his broken arm to try and block the attack. Seeing this, Zen stopped his kick just before it made contact with Izuku's arm and instead stomped down onto the ground between them. Shocked by the sudden change in motion by Zen, Izuku had no time to react as Zen drove his glowing fist into Izuku's chest. In that instant, a shockwave was produced from his fist which blasted Izuku back. Izuku tried his hardest to push back, but the force pushing him back was like an invisible concrete wall that wouldn't budge. Looking back, he could see the edge closing in rapidly. Seeing no other option, Izuku charged up his quick into his hand, and with all the strength he had left, he pushed against the shockwave. He groaned as each movement he made with already wounded hand caused him excruciating pain, but he pushed through will all he had. Just before he reached the edge, his hand broke through the invisible barrier, dispersing it's force while sending a massive gust of wind blowing in Zen's direction, who shielded his face from the fierce gale. Once his body stopped, Izuku dropped to both knees with his shattered arm lying loosely to his side while his other hand held on to his throbbing chest where Zen struck him. Seeing Izuku's condition, Zen was sure it was over, but his eyes widened as Izuku dragged his body up, his breaths heavy each step along the way.

"Give it up. This fight is over. There's no possible way you'll be able to continue like this," Zen said. Izuku smiled at his words.

"Not possible? I remember a hero who had pretty famous saying. He always said "no matter how bad things get, just clench your fists and keep moving". We both know who said that, and that's exactly what I'll keep doing!" Izuku declared, smiling while holding his purple fist up. Zen's heart stopped. His eyes widening as he looked at the boy. He couldn't believe his eyes, but the silhouette behind finally became clear.

It was his grandfather. His features were so clear, as he stood tall behind Izuku, his smiling expression together with his fist raised in front of him matching those of the green haired boy's. He felt his fists shaking at the sight before shaking his head. His grandfather was now gone, but his body still shook violently. His breathing was starting to get heavier before scrunched his face in anger.

"Quiet. I've heard enough," he said angrily. Izuku then charged forward with no hesitation in his eyes.

"I'll keep going no matter what! That's why I refuse to lose," Izuku said before throwing a punch at Zen. Getting angrier, Zen effortlessly knocked his hand away leaving the boy wide open.

"Get it through your head! Not giving up? Keep moving? That won't get you anywhere without strength!" Zen said before unleashing a relentless barrage of punches to Izuku's exposed to chest. Each blow felt like he was getting hit by a bus before a final blow was delivered to his stomach. He coughed up blood as he slowly began falling back. His eyes were weary, as he felt his world getting lighter. Just as his vision slowly got darker, he heard several voices calling out to him.

"Deku!"

"Young Midoriya!"

"Midoriya!"

"(That's right... I can't... I can't...!)"

Just before he hit the ground, his leg stomped down first, keeping him up. Pulling his head back up, Izuku grit his teeth as he moved his body back forward. Zen's eyes widened upon seeing this, as he got ready to prepare another blow. Pulling his left fist back, Izuku began to charge One for All with greater power than his previous hits, and Zen was surprised to see what was going on.

"(His left hand... He hasn't been using it with his quirk this whole time! Was he waiting for this? No matter, it should be easy to counter this)" Zen thought, as he got ready to strike first. With his superior speed and reflexes, he knew he could land a blow first at this range. With his fist glowing white, he was about to lunge forward, but his body stopped. Before him, behind Midoriya once more was the image of Full Tremor who had his fist pulled back the same way. Zen tried his hardest to move, yet his body was frozen stiff. No matter what he did, he couldn't move the way he wanted. Within seconds, it was too late anyway, as Izuku's fist aimed directly at his stomach.

 **"Detroit Smash!"**

Izuku used every fiber of his being to ram his fist straight into Zen's stomach. The explosive force behind his punch activated immediately with Zen coughing up spit right upon impact as the force blasted him away. The stage around them shattered explosively with a massive gust of wind from the force blowing all throughout the arena with the spectators struggling to keep themselves in their seats.

The force of the punch was like a rocket, continuously dragging Zen backwards. It took an extensive amount of effort for Zen to just turn his head around. The edge was closing in fast, and the force that was blasting him towards it was not relenting in the slightest. He tried with all his effort to stop himself, but his feet couldn't get any hold of the shattering tiles below him. Grunting, he struggled to pull his arms closer to his chest where the source of the attack was pummeling him forward. Using his quirk, his fists began glowing in front of him before swinging them both backwards. The moment, they passed his back, a powerful shockwave ignited, meeting Izuku's attack and canceling it out. The result of the opposing forces hitting each caused an even greater shockwave which sent ripples across the entire stadium. The fierce winds raged through the whole area with Izuku almost losing his footing, nearly threatening to throw him out of the arena. Slowly opening his eyes and lowering his arms, Izuku looked at the large cloud of dust across from him. His eyes widened as he saw a faint shadow becoming more visible as the dust died down.

Emerging from the thick grey clouds and raining debris was Zen standing right at the edge of the arena. His eyes were narrow and his breathing was deep and heavy. He appeared to struggle to remain standing, as both of his knees were bent and shaky while his back was slightly hunched over. Coughing up some blood onto the ground, he fell to one knee.

"It's still a little hard to see, but it looks like Takeda is still in!" Tsuyu said, pointing down at the fading dust around him.

"What happened there? It was so sudden," Iida asked.

"It looks like to keep himself from getting knocked out, he created a shockwave behind him to counter Midoriya's attack. It might have kept him in, but there's no doubt he took a lot of damage from that. Both Midoriya's attack there, and being smashed in between his own shockwave must have left huge toll on his body," Hina said, frowning upon seeing Zen on the ground.

"That still wasn't enough?" Izuku breathed out before slumping forward once the pain of his two broken arms finally began setting in. He winced, as he looked down at his two trembling and discolored arms.

"I don't get it... Why won't you give up?" Zen said, his voice hoarse. He slowly forced himself back to his feet, his body swaying and shaking as he did so. Once the dust covering his body faded, Izuku's eyes widened.

The impact of both shockwaves had left Zen's shirt in tatters leaving only part of his left sleeve remaining which hung only by a thin strand of cloth connected to Zen's collar. His whole front chest was revealed, leaving his large faded scar fully visible for Izuku to see. Even the his back's scar was seen by all, as only his shirt just below his neck remained there. Every one in the stadium was shocked to see this while Hina held a saddened expression on her face.

"Takeda?" Izuku asked in a worried tone despite the situation the two were in. Zen frowned upon finally noticing that his scar was fully visible for all to see.

"Whoa... That's a pretty big scar," Kirishima said, shocked by faded light scar on his back and chest.

"From the looks of it, whatever happened must have been pretty serious," Todoroki said.

"Hina?" Momo looked at the doctor with worried eyes. The redhead's hands were balled up into fists, and her eyes were distant while looking down at Zen.

"I guess everyone can see it now," Zen said, placing a hand over his chest, wincing upon feeling a spike of pain from Izuku's previous attack.

"What happened to you?" Izuku asked, unable to take his eyes off of the scarred tissue.

"I got this from a villain a couple years back. The same one who killed my parents," Zen said, his eyes looking down. Izuku's eyes widened upon hearing this.

"He came out of nowhere and attacked our home. I tried all I could to save them, but I was too weak. In the end I couldn't save anyone, and I nearly died from this wound," Zen said while images of flames flashed through his head.

"I- I had no idea," Izuku said.

"I can never forget that villains words that day. How strength is the only thing that matters in this world," Zen said. Izuku couldn't find any words to reply. Zen grit his teeth, as he remembered the man's words to him.

 _"In this world, without strength, you can't do anything"_

"This scar is a constant reminder of how much of a failure I was, that I still am. Even now, I'm still pathetic," Zen said in a frustrate tone. All Might, who stood silently in the hall, watched the two with a pain expression on his face. His fists were balled up and his nails dug deep into his palms, almost drawing blood.

"That's why I'm telling you now that ideals and titles like number one are pointless. They won't make any difference in the face of overwhelming power. They won't save or protect anyone, none of it matters. Fight back all you want, but without strength, it's pointless to keep resisting. You can only rely on your own power to do anything in this world," Zen said. He looked over to Izuku who's expression was covered by his hair.

"Do you really believe that?" Izuku asked. Zen narrowed his eyes at the boy.

"You might be right. Maybe it is pointless with strength," Izuku said, his voice low and tired. Zen's eyes widened, however, once Izuku looked back up at him with eyes full of life and determination.

"Even so, I refuse to accept it! I get that strength is important, but thats not the only thing that matters! Being able to bring hope to others, and let them know that everything will be all right! That's just as important to being a hero! To being number one! That's why I won't give up!" Izuku said, baring his fist while ignoring the crushing pain it took to do so. Zen began to lose his temper, as a look of irritation found it's way to his face.

"Do you still not get it?!" Zen asked angrily.

"No, I get that strength is crucial. I can't hope to become number one without strength nor can I make any feel safe without it, but I remember a great hero who once said that there is more to being a hero than just being strong. I think you know who I'm talking about better than I do," Izuku said.

 _"There's something else that makes the best heroes really strong"_

Full Tremor's words echoed through the boy's head. He felt a wave of pain pass through his head before putting a hand over his eye.

"Just like All Might, he was amazingly strong, but that wasn't all there was to him. I'm sure you know that much better than anyone. I know that he wouldn't agree with what you are saying right now," Izuku said.

"Quiet! What would you know about him?!" Zen snapped.

"Clearly more than you do! You learned from him for years didn't you? Then why are you taking the words of a villain over his?!" Izuku said before lunging forward. Zen moved faster and threw a punch directly at Izuku's face, but as he got a closer look at Izuku's face, he felt his body trembling. The fierce look that the green haired boy had on his face caused Zen's body to instinctively react on it's own. Before he knew it, the speed of his punch dropped dramatically which Izuku noticed. Taking advantage of Zen's sudden hesitation, he drove his own fist into Zen's stomach. A sharp pain passed through both students as he made contact with as a result of both Izuku's arm and Zen's stomach having previously taken damage earlier. The punch sent Zen skidding back a few feet. Coughing up a small amount of blood, he once again dropped to one knee with a thud. With deep breaths, Zen looked at his trembling hand while his vision began getting shaky.

"(What's happening to me? Why am I hesitating so much?)" Zen thought to himself. He couldn't understand what was happening to him, and for the first time in a long while, he began to feel panic. His body wasn't responding to him the way he had always been used to, and the images of his grandfather that were coming from Izuku sent shivers down his spine. His whole mind was in a state of confusion and chaos.

"I-Is Deku doing it?" Uraraka said in a hopeful tone.

"Could it be that Takeda is at his limit? It looks he's slowing down a lot after Midoriya's attack hit him," Iida said.

"Something is off," Bakugo said in suspecting tone.

"What do you mean?" Kirishima asked.

"It's not that he slowed down form Deku's attack. Just before he took that blow, he slowed down then too and the time before that. Something is off," Bakugo said.

"You're right. Based on their matches so far, Takeda should've been able to easily counter each of those attacks. What's going on?" Momo asked, unable to comprehend what is taking place.

"Something is holding him back, but I don't know what. Zen never leaves hesitates like this. I'm worried," Hina said while grasping her hands together.

"I'm sorry about everything that's happened to you. I really am. But I know that if Full Tremor or your parents were here, they wouldn't want you to be so hard on yourself. I can tell that you're hurting, and I want to help you," Izuku said with sympathy in his voice. Clicking his tongue, Zen forced himself to get up, ignoring the aching pain in his muscles.

"Don't insult me. I don't need any help from you or anyone else. You'll never be able to get stronger if you rely on others," Zen said in a serious tone.

"You're wrong!" Izuku said forcefully which took Zen off guard. Izuku refused to believe Zen's words, as his mind wandered to all the memories he had made that had led him to this point. His mother, All Might, Bakugo, Uraraka, Iida, and the rest of his classmates all came to mind.

"There's nothing wrong with relying on others. It's only thanks to the people who believed in me and helped me that I made it this far! They've taught me so much and have helped me grow. I might still be weak, but it's because of them that I'm going to get stronger!" Izuku said.

"Getting help from others makes you stronger? I refuse to believe something as pointless as that. I don't need anyone. I'll keep moving forward alone until I finally become stronger. Until I'm no longer a pathetic failure..." Zen said clenching his fists tighter.

"You don't really believe that do you? There's no way that you've become as strong as you are all on your own. Full Tremor, your parents, your sister, and even all of us. You're not alone no matter what you think!" Izuku exclaimed. Zen was taken aback by this. Izuku's words pierced though him like arrows, as he felt a strange feeling in his chest.

"And you're not a failure either! You're so strong, and not only that, but you've been looking out for us so much," Izuku said.

"What are you talking about?" Zen asked, confused.

"Back in the USJ, you put all of us before yourself, and threw yourself into danger to help us. When I was in trouble, you tried to help me even though it left you vulnerable. Through al of that, you cared more our safety than your own life. Even now, in your matches so far, you've been giving us all advice to help us better ourselves, and encouraged us to get better," Izuku explained.

From the stands, many of his classmates understood where he was coming from. Ojiro nodded at Izuku's words as he remembered the words of encouragement that Zen gave him after their match.

"Even though you seem really cold most of the time, I can tell you're looking out for us. When you kept warning me about being reckless and telling me to not fight, I can tell that you were genuinely worried about me. Even now, as we're fighting, you've been avoiding hitting me in my broken arms even though it could've ended the fight much more easily for you," Izuku said, looking down at his two discolored arms.

"What exactly is your point?" Zen asked.

"That you're not a failure! All of these things show that you really want to help people, that you want to be a hero to help others more than anything else even if you don't realize it. I know that Full Tremor wouldn't want you talking about yourself like this. He was always a hero who gave everyone hope and always looked for a brighter future. That's why I can't stand it when you seem to be taking the words of a villain and forgetting what he would've wanted for you!" Izuku said in an angry tone, yet somehow Zen could feel some warmth from them.

He grasped the side of his head, as it began to pound. He also felt his heart speeding up while looking at the green haired boy.

"You keep talking about strength, but is that really all there is? You say you want to get stronger, but for what? Do you even remember why you wanted to be a hero in the first place?!" Izuku asked.

"Why I wanted to be a hero... why I came to him in the first place. What was it...?" Zen muttered silently to himself, as his quaking head got even worse. He could hear many voices ringing out in his head, all of whom he recognized all too well. He thought back to all the times he had spent with not only his grandfather, but his parents and sister as well. He thought of all the time he spent studying about heroes and how inspired he was back then.

 _Why did I want to become a hero..._

 _So, why do you want to be a hero? Don't you know how dangerous it is?_

 _I'll beat you here! And I'll become a hero that can protect everyone!_

His eyes widened upon remembering his own words from so long ago. He had forgotten his vow to his grandfather. To one day defeat him, and become a hero. Yet his drive to become stronger after the incident with his parents remained, and he began feeling conflicted. His vision began spinning, as for the first time in a long time, he didn't know what to do. His goal was always so clear about become stronger yet now he was in a state of distress. As he tried to process the conflicting ways of thoughts in his head, he instinctively remembered his last moments with his grandfather.

 _Remember... whenever you feel like you're losing your way... or you don't know what to do... al... ways..._

"(What was it?! Why can I still not remember? Grandfather... I... don't know what to do)" Zen thought, as he felt as though he was having a meltdown. Neither his body nor his mind was working the way he wanted, and he felt as though he was about to break down. Seeing Izuku in front of him, staring at him with warm yet fiercely determined eyes, Zen couldn't figure out the strange feeling that he got from the boy. Baring his teeth, he forcibly pushed aside all of his thoughts, and activated his quirk. With loud grunt, he released a powerful quake from his body, creating cracks in the ground around him which continued to expand. His fists began to glow, as he looked at Izuku with a fierce expression.

"Dammit! I've had enough of this!" Zen yelled out angrily, as he pulled his fist back. Punching forward, he released a large quake which shot straight for Izuku. It completely shattered all of the arena which crossed it's path, as it continued it's movement forward. Seeing this, Izuku refused to back down, as he began running directly towards it. Feeling One for All's power coursing through his body, he pulled his arm back, as it began glowing and pulsing with sheer power. Despite the mind crushing pain that it caused him, he refused to let it overcome him, as he was determined to push forward towards Zen. Just as the quake was mere inches away from him, he threw his fist forward, and immediately he could feel the heavy resistance. The sheer force of the quake shocked Izuku, who was expecting his punch to be much stronger.

"Shouldn't Deku's punch be stronger than Takeda's long range shockwave? Why is he struggling so much?" Uraraka asked, as she tried to keep herself steady against the rumbling ground which shook the whole stadium.

"His injuries must be hampering his power. Earlier his punch was much stronger because he hadn't broken his left arm yet, but now that he's used it so many times, his body must be reaching his limit, and can't channel as much power as before," Momo assessed. While they watched the clash unfold, Hina couldn't help, but look on at her brother with worry in her eyes. She could clearly see the anger and distress in his expression. She had never seen him display his emotions so much before, and she couldn't help but wonder what was happening to him.

"(Zen... What are you thinking right now?)" Hina thought, as she clasped her hands together tightly. All she could do was pray that her brother would be alright. Zen meanwhile was shocked by what he saw. Despite his overwhelming injuries and undoubtable pain that he must have been feeling, Izuku kept pushing against Zen's shockwave. Blood clearly could be seen seeping from Izuku's arm, as he pressed it against the massive white quake.

"(Why...)"

Soon enough, with a powerful roar, Izuku broke past the shockwave, dispersing it's energy all over the area. Despite the pain intensifying even further, Izuku couldn't let himself stop nor deactivate his quirk which kept flowing through his arm. He continued to run towards Zen, whose eyes were filled with confusion. Jumping up, Izuku pounced towards Zen with his fist ready.

"Why... Why are you trying so hard for this?!" Zen yelled, clenching his fist. A quake bubble formed around his hand, he readied to meet Izuku.

"Because I can tell you're hurting! To become a hero, I have be able to help everyone! To reach out to them and make them smile! But even more than that... It's because..." Putting his back into it, Izuku launched his punch downwards towards Zen with no hesitation.

Moving to strike first, Zen threw his own punch forward, aiming his quake bubble directly into Izuku's chest, yet his eye's widened upon seeing Izuku's form. He could feel it. An overwhelming force which emanated from Izuku's body. It was like the presence of multiple people baring down on him. This force was like a shining light which shook Zen's body to it's core. Whatever it was, it kept him from taking a movement forward, and with that, Izuku slammed his fist into the side of Zen's face.

"You're my friend!"

 **At long last, this chapter is done. I've just been overwhelmed by stuff in life, so I'm really sorry it took this long. Seeing all the support from you guys definately helped me, so thank you all so much for that. I really want the next chapter to be out much sooner, but we'll see how it goes. Anyway, I'll see you guys in the next chapter.**


	11. Inherited Spirits

**I'm back! Thanks to finally getting some rest and time to relax, I'm feeling much better now. We'll see how long that lasts, but for now I'll try and make the most of it. Anyway enjoy the chapter!**

Chapter 11: Inherited Spirits

Darkness fully encompassed everything around him. His eyelids felt heavy, as he turned his head from side to side. Finally mustering the strength to open his eyes, he was met by a familiar sight. Zen was on his knees while he tightly clutched the bloodied and tattered clothes of the man lying before him. Streams of continuously flowing tears stuck to his cheeks which flowed like a waterfall off of his face which was easily distinguishable even in the shower of rain around them.

Looking at the boy with sympathetic eyes, Full Tremor tried to reach out to him, but lacked the strength to do so. He lied on his back with his body being covered in countless wounds and trails of blood which stained his hero costume. He had cuts along the top of his head and a gash on the side of his head which caused blood to flow down the right side of his face which stained his eye mask and kept his right eye closed. His chest had a massive gash in it from where dark blood seeped out with various other cuts adorning his arms and legs. The worst wound however came in the form of large hole just above his stomach. It was large enough to fit a hand into, and the dark gory abyss had small bits of white jutting out from the sides. It seemed whatever caused the horrendous injury had passed all the way through, as blood pooled underneath him, dying his tattered cape a dark crimson red.

"You'll be fine, grandpa! You'll be fine..." Zen sobbed, as his smaller hands gripped the heroes suit tighter.

"Come on now... you wanted to be a hero, right? Then stop crying, you won't be able to help anyone like that," Full Tremor said in weak voice, as he smiled at the boy before him.

"B-But grandpa... you're really hurt! We need to get you help now!" Zen said in panicked voice while continuing to sob.

"No... It's too late for that. I've taken a lot of injuries in my life, so I know that this is it," Full Tremor said, slowly shaking his head. Zen shook his head, refusing to believe what was happening

"No! People still need you! The world still needs you," Zen cried out.

"Hehe... Don't worry about that. We still have All Might and all of those other great heroes. As long as they're around, losing an old man like me won't matter. Besides, I still have you to take over for me, Zen," The grey haired hero said before his breathing began to grow heavier and more ragged.

"No, I can't! There's still so much you need to teach me. I can't possibly do it without you!" Zen said, tightening his grip even further until the man's blood started to stain his hands. The rain around them continued to pelt the two in the quiet street where they sat. The rain along the road slowly started to take the hero's blood along with it, but the pool around him was too thick to be fully washed away. Smiling, Full Tremor used all the strength he had left, to move his hand forward. Slightly wincing at the pain, he let out a sigh, as he placed his hand on the boy's head.

"You've already learned all I have to teach you. Besides, you're way tougher than any kid your age should be anyway. Certainly much more than I was at that age," Full Tremor assured before coughing even more. Each time, it grew rougher and harder before more blood escaped from his mouth, coating his costume even further.

"I will tell you one last thing though. Engrave this on your heart because it is the most important thing thing I'll ever tell you. Your final lesson..." he said, his expression fully serious despite how exhausted his eyes looked.

"W-What is it?" Zen said, trying to wipe away his tears, yet they still continued to flow unabated.

"You asked me a while back... about where I got my strength from..." Full Tremor said, recalling the time the two of them sparred.

"Y-Yeah..." Zen said quietly. His eyes were now sore from how much he been crying and rubbing them.

"I told you that... it takes more than just having muscle, quirks, or skill to be strong. Though it is different for most people... the source of my strength, or my drive rather... is those who I care about..." Full Tremor explained softly.

"Those you care about?" Zen asked confused.

"Back then... I used to only care about getting stronger. I thought that if I continued to train and fight on my own, I would be unstoppable... But I was wrong... I reached a plateau. It seemed like I couldn't move forward anymore... that I was lacking something. Something that allowed those who were far weaker than me, to break through their barriers time and time again. I didn't know what it was... until I met them," Full Tremor smiled softly upon thinking back to a time long past. He could recall a time when he lied on his back on a field of bright vibrant grass, fully enjoying the bright skies, and the soft breeze that blew against his skin. As he continued to look up, two figures entered his vision over him. One of them was a tall and youthful looking man who wore a black eye mask. His costume was white and yellow with thick gloves and boots with a yellow cape. The other was a beautiful and well built woman with long black hair. She wore a black sleeveless bodysuit with long yellow gloves, white boots, and a long white cape. She also had a small mole below her bottom lip. The two looked down at him with smiling faces, as they extended their hands to him. He could remember himself reaching both hands up towards them, but the thought slowly faded away, bringing back to the dark dreary skies above him at the moment.

"I had two sworn friends who were practically family to me. Back then, the two of them refused to leave me alone no matter what, always getting into my business. I didn't understand what was going on with them, but before I knew it, I genuinely started enjoying the time we spent together... In fact, I eventually became willing to put my life on the line for them. I think around that time, I started understanding what made them so amazing... how they kept reaching new heights which I didn't think were possible. It was the desire to protect, and to fight for someone else..." Full Tremor explained, his force growing weaker with each word.

Zen listened closely to the old man all the while trying to contain his sobs to little avail. His eyes stung from the amount of tears which had already left his eyes, as well as how much he had been rubbing them in a futile attempt to get them to stop.

"Eventually it went from those two to many more... I kept meeting so many more amazing people who to this day are still dear friends. After that, more just kept coming... a young brat with a crazy dream... an antisocial kid who wanted to reach new heights... your mother... your father... and then you and your sister... So many people who I grew to care about. Sure it's a real bother to have so much to protect... but it's exactly that which makes it worth protecting that made the man I am now... That is the kind of experience that helps you grow far more than any amount of training could..." Full Tremor said, his expression softening, as he wiped away a tear from the boy's cheek.

"I-I still don't understand..." Zen said wiping his eyes. Full Tremor weakly chuckled.

"Of course you don't... A kid too shy to make friends for the life of him probably would find it hard to understand. Hehe... you're just like him..." Full Tremor said thinking back to a certain kid with gray hair that once came to him.

"I'm sorry..." Zen said in a sad tone. Full Tremor labored to form a fist and lightly tapped his head.

"Don't be... that's just who you are, and it's not bad... Even if you are like that, there will be idiots who will come to you. A bunch of fools who will stick their noses where they don't belong, who don't know when to give up. They'll be the ones who you can call true friends. The ones who'll make you become an idiot who won't give up either. I'm sure of it, Zen. Once you meet them, you'll become a much stronger hero than anyone..." Full Tremor said with a big smile.

"B-But I can't do it without you! I need you to show me the way! I-I just don't know..." Zen begged, clenching his eyes shut, as a renewed wave of tears began streaming down, mixing with the rain on his face.

"Hehe... Don't worry about that... if you ever end up losing your way... Your friends will be there to knock some sense into you, and make you remember who you are. Just remember... whenever you feel like you're losing your way, or you don't know what to do... always think back to why you wanted to be a hero in the first place... and have trust in those who care about you..." Full Tremor said. As Zen slowly nodded, his eyes widened as Full Tremor started to cough uncontrollably. Blood began flying out of his mouth, staining his costume and hand even further. His wounds also started to release even more of his essence onto the cold ground below with the pool of red getting even larger and staining Zen's knees.

"Grandpa!" Zen cried out in panic upon seeing his grandfather's pained face. Once he stopped, he slowly opened his eyes to watch the sky above. His eyes slowly began to lose color as he smiled on.

"I wish... I could've stayed around to watch you grow up... but I guess that's not going to happen, huh? Even so... It's been an amazing ride... and I'm grateful for the time I was able to spend with you..." Full Tremor said, his voice getting more and more uneven. Placing his hand on Zen's cheek, he stared into the boy's eyes. The old man's warm expression was one that Zen had experienced many times which he grew to cherish. This time, however, was different. Zen knew that this would likely be the last time he would see it, and it shattered his heart to see his grandfather... his mentor... his best friend like this.

"Z-Zen... Stay true... to yourself... Keep moving forward... and most of all... find those... who make you happy..."

Once his voice gave out, the man's hand slowly slid down Zen's cheek until it finally fell down. Hitting the wet ground with a light splash, Full Tremor gave one last breath before closing his eyes, all the while keeping a large smile on his face. Zen's eyes were wide as his breathing started to get out of control. With shaky hands, he tried desperately to shake his grandfather.

"Grandpa... Grandpa! Grandpa! Please! Wake up! D-Don't go..." Zen buried his face into the man's chest, his tears adding more water to the man's blood and rain soaked outfit. His hands gripped the fabric so tightly that it looked like it was going to rip, as he began to sob loudly and uncontrollably. His cries could easily be heard even amongst the endless rain.

"Please... Please... don't go..." Zen cried out. Soon enough the world around him began to be engulfed in darkness. The man's body soon disappeared, as did everything else, leaving only a shattered Zen crying on his knees. With nothing else, he pulled his knees to his face, as he continued to ball his eyes out until he started losing his voice.

"Please... Somebody Please... I... I don't know what to do... Somebody... please..." Zen's mind was empty, and his heart was heavy. He lost all strength in his body, and couldn't think at all. With nothing left, all he could do was sit pitifully in the darkness.

 **"Takeda!"**

Zen slowly lifted his head at the strange voice that had just rung out, but he couldn't see anything. Just an endless void of black.

 **"Takeda!"**

The voice became more forceful this time. For some reason, it resonated with Zen, as he began looking around even further with tear filled eyes. Eventually, a small glimmer of light appeared in front of him. It was no larger than a marble in size, yet it gave off a dazzling, rainbow colored glint.

 **"You're my friend!"**

The voice grew louder once more, and with it, the light also expanded. It grew much larger than before, and the light which came from it was even more brilliant, which illuminated the whole area in front of him. For some reason, the light gave off a warm feeling which made Zen feel strange inside. He felt much of his pain beginning to go away, and slowly his strength started returning. Slowly standing up, he looked right at the light with wide eyes.

 _"Keep moving forward, Zen..."_

He could clearly hear his grandfather's voice despite his body no longer being in sight. The little kid swallowed hard before taking a steady step forward followed by another. Reaching his hand forward, he felt the warmth on his palm enveloping his whole being. Continuing forward, Zen walked through the light until finally everything went numb.

O-O

Groaning, Zen slowly opened his tired eyes to be met by the sight of bright blue sky above. Blinking a few times, he slowly returned to consciousness to see parts of the stadium above him. The sounds of the crowd began flooding his ears, as he slowly sat up. Looking over, he saw Midnight squatting next to him, checking on him.

"Are you alright? Can you still continue?" she asked in a worried tone. Looking over in front of him, he could see a tired and battered Izuku, who seemed to be having trouble catching his breath. Nodding, Zen slowly stood up while wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. Seeing he had no difficulty doing so, Midnight quickly walked off of the stadium before nodding up towards the booth where Present Mic and Aizawa were seated.

"Well folks, it looked like Takeda was out for the count there, but it seems he's still raring to go!" Present Mic announced.

"Hm... it looked like the force from the last attack knocked him out for just a bit, but now he looks fine," Aizawa said in muffled voice through his bandages.

"Man, he's tough. Even though he was just knocked out, he doesn't look worn out at all," Kirishima said.

"Are you sure he's alright? He looks a little out of it," Tsuyu asked.

Zen was looking around the stadium before looking down at his two hands. They were no longer shaking like before, and his mind felt oddly clear. In fact, it felt clearer than it had in a long time. Upon remembering what he just experienced, he slowly put his hands down, and closed his eyes. He had a much softer expression on his face, as he thought back to his grandfather's final words to him, words that he thought he would never find in his shattered memories from that day. Taking a deep breath, he reopened his eyes and looked straight at the boy in front of him.

Izuku was certainly far from alright. His posture made it seem like he was a tap away from falling over. His arms were by far the most damaged part with each being horribly discolored and bloody. Each of his fingers were broken with some being bent out of place while blood slowly dripped down from them to the tile below, forming a small red pool under him. The boy also had blood flowing down from the corner of his mouth as well as from the left side of his forward. His breathing was heavy and ragged yet he still maintained a fierce and determined expression on his face.

"What you said before..." Zen said.

"Huh?" Izuku gave him a confused look.

"You said that I was your friend. Are you sure about that?" Zen asked.

"Of course!" Izuku replied, his eyes unwavering.

"What an absolutely absurd thing to say. We barely know each other yet you're going on about us being friends. Not only that, but you keep going on about becoming number one and making everyone smile despite the condition that you're in. What a naive idiot you are," Zen said. The corner of his mouth then slightly shifted up, almost forming a smirk.

"Just like him..." Zen said quietly.

"What was that?" Izuku said, not fully hearing what Zen just said. Shaking his head, Zen focused back on the boy in front of him.

"Nothing. Just talking to myself. Anyway, I owe you an apology," Zen said.

"Apology? For what?" Izuku asked, confused.

"I haven't been respecting your drive to get better. I've been dismissing it as just you being stupid and that your efforts were pointless. Despite that, you've still been giving this your all, but I haven't been doing the same, so for that I'm sorry, and it won't happen again," Zen said in a sincere tone which caught everyone off guard. He then put his legs together, and raised his arms in front of him. Forming a fist with his right hand, he covered it with his left and held them out in front of him. Lowering his head a little, he pushed his hands away from him slightly.

"I can't believe it..." Hina said, shocked by what she was seeing.

"What is that? Some kind of bow?" Momo asked.

"I think so. Usually some martial arts have different types of bows, so that might be it," Ojiro said.

"That's the bow of respect that our grandfather used," Hina explained.

"Really? Full Tremor used that?" Momo asked, surprised.

"Yes. He and Zen always bowed to each other like that before they had their sparring matches. It's meant as a sign of respect towards their opponent. He hasn't done it at all since our grandfather passed, so I thought he had forgotten about it..." Hina said, her eyes wide by her brother's sudden change in attitude.

"How strange... First apologizing, now giving a sign of respect... Is it just me or does Takeda seem really different all of a sudden? Did something happen?" Iida asked.

"(Zen...)" Hina couldn't figure out what was going on with Zen, yet she could tell someone had changed. Taking one look at his expression, she could immediately tell something happened. His usual hardened and calm expression was now much more relaxed while keeping an aura of calmness. Despite how little it seemed, this was massive for Hina, who had not seen any kind of change in emotion in him for years.

"U-Um... There's no need to apologize. I-It's just..." Izuku was at a lost for words. He couldn't tell what to say given how this apology came out of nowhere. Just minutes ago, Zen had such a stern and serious expression on him, but now he had taken such a sharp turn that it almost made Izuku forget about the massive amount of pain he was in.

"However" Zen interrupted him. The boy's onyx eyes were now staring into Izuku's own. They were much more serious all of sudden, however, unlike before they now no longer had coldness to them.

"I still don't believe in your claims about the value of being number one. About relying on other's strengths, and about us being friends," Zen said.

Hearing this, Izuku could see how serious Zen was getting. Slowly lifting his arms up, he got ready to go once again. Wincing at the excruciating pain, he pushed through it, knowing that the fight wasn't over yet. Moving his bowing stance, he fluidly transitioned to his battle stance. Stomping on the ground, and clenching his fists, he activated his quirk, sending ripples through the arena under him.

"If you really believe in those naive ideas of yours... then prove to it me right now! Show me how serious you are and prove me wrong!" Zen said in a determined voice.

(Midoriya... Let me see it...) Zen thought, readying himself.

Izuku's eyes widened upon seeing Zen taking his stance. Something about him was drastically different. He suddenly felt much more intimidating than before yet there was something else. Something much different. Before, he could tell Zen was deeply conflicted with himself and his presence gave off a sense of pain, but now he was firm and resolved. Seeing this, Izuku knew that he couldn't back down. Feeling One for All pulsing deep within him, he nodded in agreement.

"Alright then, Takeda! I'll show you right now!" Izuku exclaimed. Feeling Izuku's powerful presence, Zen nodded. This time, he didn't feel anxiety or fear, in fact he felt a little excited deep down. Dashing forward, Izuku raised his hand in preparation for a punch. Zen got ready to counter, but just before the two came within each others reach, Izuku's feet slid against the ground, stopping himself directly in front of Zen. Transferring all of the energy within his arm to his fingers, he aimed his fingers at Zen from point blank range.

 **"Sma-"**

Just before he could release his fingers, Zen quickly moved in and knocked his hand upwards. This caused his attack to be released directly into the air, releasing a powerful gust of air through the area. Before he could process what happened, Zen's fist was already lodged into Izuku's stomach, making him cough up saliva. He could almost feel his eyes bulging out of their sockets just from the sheer force. There was no doubt that this punch had much more strength to it than his previous ones despite there being no signs of him using his quirk. Pushing through the pain, Izuku tightly grabbed onto Zen's arm with both hands. Turning around, Izuku moved to throw Zen over his shoulder, but was shocked to find that Zen wasn't budging. Zen maintained his balance and easily prevented Izuku from performing the throw.

"The same trick isn't going to work on me," Zen said before easily breaking Izuku's grip on his arm. Moving his leg up, Zen sent a swift kick right to Izuku's chest. With his shoe on the green haired boy's chest, it quickly began glowing white before launching a quake with the kick, blasting Izuku away with tremendous force. Pushing against the flow of the shockwave, Izuku aimed his fingers to his side before releasing another blast, shattering his finger even further. Ignoring the screams of pain in his muscles and bones, he blasted himself out of the hold of Zen's shockwave. The moment he touched the ground, Izuku used One for All's power in his leg to propel himself rapidly back towards Zen, who had already retaken his stance. Sending a punch towards Zen, the blacked haired boy easily moved his head to the side, evading it. Moving in closer was easy with Izuku's momentum not stopping. Zen delivered a right hook to Izuku's face, knocking away. Placing his foot down while sliding away, Izuku was able to stay up, but nearly fell over once his other foot landed. Realizing that his leg had broken from using his quirk earlier, Zen wasted no time rushing forward towards the boy. Seeing this, Izuku quickly tried to hit Zen with punch after punch, but each time, Zen effortless evaded them. Each punch coming towards him felt like they were in slow motion with Zen easily moving through them. Remembering the images of his grandfather's rapid fire strikes coming at him as a kid, Izuku's own sloppy and tired punches were nothing for him.

Zen swiftly knocked both of Izuku's hands out of the way, leaving him completely open in his front side. No missing his chance, Zen unleashed a rapid barrage of powerful punches everywhere from Izuku's stomach to his face. He didn't have even split second between each punch to recover, as he had to endure the tens of brutal punches that were being thrown at him.

"Deku!" Uraraka called out in worry.

"Man, Midoriya looked he was pushing through. What happened? All of sudden Takeda seems completely different," Kirishima said.

"Yeah... before Takeda looked like he was struggling with something. He's movements were slower, and his mind seemed somewhere else," Ojiro said, rubbing his chin.

"It's not just that he was slower before... he's actually even faster now than he was before that... His movements are so fluid now, and his form looks even more solid. His eyes are completely focused too, even more so than I've seen in a long time..." Hina said, unable to believe what she was seeing.

"Why do you think that is? Did something happen down there?" Momo asked.

"I don't know... But all I can say is, at this rate, Midoriya doesn't have a chance. His injuries are really starting to show. His body won't hold much longer. I can tell by the way his limbs are looking that if he doesn't stop soon, he'll be in serious danger..." Hina said. Hearing this Uraraka gasped, and tightly clutched her hands.

"Deku..." Uraraka couldn't contain her worry, as she watched her friend being battered by Zen's barrage.

After a solid blow to Izuku's side, he tightly closed his eyes in pain, as he felt any feeble amount of strength he had left leaving. Before he could fall over, he barely opened an eye to see Zen in front of him. Despite the punches having stopped, Zen was clearly not done. Moving his arms fluidly in a clockwise pattern that left an afterimage of those movements, he stopped his glowing hands in front of him with his right hand open vertically and his left horizontally. Tightening his muscles, he forcefully pushed them forward.

 **"Gong Strike!"**

The moment his palms hit Izuku's chest, the force of the attack instantly flowed through Izuku's entire body. Without any time to process it, he was sent flying back onto his back all the while crashing into the tile below. His limp body eventually came to a stop just as his head was mere inches away from the edge. Izuku was barely able to open his eyes. He felt his entire body, both inside and out screaming out to him. Not a single fiber within him was left undamaged, and finally all of the punishment that he had gained from the fight, both from Zen and himself, finally started to catch up with him. Making even the slightest movement of his head was excruciatingly painful. He struggled to even breath, as his vision started to fade.

"Your body is far past it's limit already. I only put enough force in my attack to keep you down. Get some rest. You've fought your hardest," Zen said while watching Izuku slowly lose consciousness. As he rubbed his sore chest, just over his scar, Zen turned around and got ready to walk away.

"Not yet..."

Zen's eyes widened, as he stopped in his tracks. From behind him, he felt an overflowing wave of energy. It was just like before, but it was even stronger this time, so strong that it virtually made his hairs stand up. Slowly turning his head around, he was shocked to see Izuku standing up. His body was hunched forward with both of his arms handing loosely below him. He had all of his weight on one leg while the other limply rested to the side. Blood was dripping from all over his body including his arms, forehead, and the corners of his mouth, forming a large puddle underneath him. He could barely keep his eyes open yet they still seemed as fiery as ever. Zen couldn't believe that he was even able to stay conscious anymore, yet here he was surprising him yet again.

"How are you still...?" Zen stood in disbelief at the boy in front of him. Suddenly Zen's senses picked up on Izuku's power growing even further almost enough to make Zen take a step back. Somehow the sensation felt so familiar yet Zen couldn't figure why. All he could do was feel the boy activating his quirk once more.

"I told you... I can't afford to lose... I have too many people counting on me... That's why I can't back down!" Izuku said before raising his right hand. Pushing through the pain of the cracking bones and leaking blood, he formed a fist, and began activating One for All yet again.

"You wanted to see how serious I am, right? Well this is it! So stop holding back, and fight me for real!" he yelled. His words shook Zen's heart. Despite how hopeless the situation looked, and despite the state that his body was in, he refused to back down even if it meant destroying himself, all to prove a point. Even asking him to fight at full force, it was just like with Todoroki. Zen could see just exactly what kind of person Izuku was, and it made his heart pound. Both seeing and feeling his unbridled will, Zen felt something which he hadn't felt since the days of training that he had spent his grandfather: Excitement.

"What an idiot you are..." Zen said, as a small smile formed on his lips.

"Yet I suppose you are right. As a fighter... to have you give all your heart and soul like this, it would be disrespectful for me to not do the same! But don't regret what you asked for!" Zen exclaimed while raising his right fist. Using all of his strength, he created a quake bubble around his fist, but this one was far stronger and more condensed than the others.

"Are these two serious? At the rate they're going, one of them is going to get killed!" Hina said in a panicked tone. She stood up and got ready to head down.

"I can feel all that force from here... Are they really going to go through with this?" Jiro said while sweating.

"Even so, look... Takeda's smiling... They both are," Momo said, shocked to especially to see Zen making such a face.

"He... He is..." Hina said, finally noticing. She couldn't believe it. It had been so long since her brother had made such a face. While she wanted to stop them, she could clearly see that her brother was actually enjoying himself. She couldn't help but think back to the days when she watched him and Full Tremor training together. His expression then perfectly matches his now, and she couldn't tell to do. She felt so conflicted watching the two before finally stopping to take back her seat. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm herself before resuming to watch the match.

"Hina?" Momo called out to her worriedly.

"I know... I want to stop them, but... I doubt I can at this point. It's been a while, but I've seen that look on Zen's face before. There's no stopping him when he's like this. We can just hope that the two of them will come out alright," Hina said, sighing in both annoyance and slight joy.

"(You're really one absurd guy, Midoriya... Becoming number one, huh? I'm sure the old man would've really like you if you met. You're just as idiotic, and just as amazing)" Zen thought to himself, as he prepared what would likely be his last attack.

"Takeda... This is all I have!" Izuku said, as he began putting One for All's power into his remaining working leg.

"Hmph. Come on then!" Zen replied with a hint of excitement in his voice, as he also started charging a quake on his foot.

With their eyes meeting, Zen and Izuku put their all into their quirks, as they braced themselves.

Seeing this, Midnight and Cementoss looked to each other and nodded in agreement. They both understood that allowing the two to continue would be far too dangerous, and had to end it before they ended up destroying each other. Learning from the last match, both of them moved to stop the fight even earlierCementoss quickly jumped down, as prepared to use his quirk while, Midnight activated her own.

In a single instant, both of their quirks exploded. The ground below both students, shattered to dust, as they catapulted towards each other. Izuku's leg instantly broke upon using it, causing both of his legs to dangle form wildly as he flew through the air towards Zen. Raising his glowing fist which overflowed with power, he put his back into his last attack before sending it forward.

"(This is it! Give me everything you've got One for All!)" Izuku made sure to put more power than ever before into his fist, ignoring the possible repercussions which would come afterward. All he could do was give it his all to face the foe in front of him.

Zen meanwhile felt much different as he neared the boy in midair. Oddly enough, despite the situation, Zen felt both excited and at peace. His chest which had always been so heavy for so long, was now light as a feather. His felt at peace, as he threw his own fist forward. His body felt much lighter and stronger than before. He wasn't entirely sure how to feel about this new sensation yet he knew one thing was for sure. The green haired boy in front of him was responsible for this, and whether he liked it or not, Zen was grateful to him for making him feel this way.

Large walls were quickly erected between the two, making them both lose sight of each other. As dozens of walls were created, neither student was deterred. Continuing to press forward, both of them easily shattered through the wave of walls, neither losing any momentum in the process. The walls completely disintegrated upon touching the edge of Zen's quake bubble while Izuku's powered fist, easily tore holes through each one without breaking a sweat. Soon the last wall was broken by both of them at the same time, allowing their gazes to meet once more.

There was an undeniable fire that Zen saw within his green eyes. It reminded him so much of his grandfather's own back when Zen used to watch him on TV. The way he always fought his hardest in any situation always brought a smile to his face as a child. The way they stared into his soul, how it filled his chest with a feeling of warmth and awe. Zen remembered All Might was exactly the same which he saw once more at the USJ. Despite the massive differences in ability between Izuku and those two, Zen could see that their burning eyes were the same. The way he continued to move forward and stare Zen down in mid air made him see Full Tremor and All Might's forms beside him. All three were smiling brightly. Seeing this, Zen didn't feel any fear or uncertainty this time like before. Instead, he finally realized what it was that made him different. Why he couldn't comprehend why he was trying so hard for something like this. He accepted that Izuku had the same unexplainable trait that those two had which made all of them so strong.

As their fists neared one another, Zen's small smile grew a little bigger.

"(You're really something else...)"

Both of their fists which overflowed with the power of each of their respective quirks finally were about to meet. Up close, he could easily feel how powerful his opponent was. The overwhelming force resonating from Izuku almost made Zen break into a cold sweat. This, however, only proved to make him more excited. All he could do was give it his all to match his opponent.

"(Thanks for this... Midoriya)"

Their fists however, never met. Both of their eyes widened upon realizing, that they had suddenly stopped, their fists just mere millimeters short of each other.

The sound of a combination of cracking earth and glass filled everyone's ears, although no one was able to discern where it came from, except for Izuku. Suddenly, Zen felt a massive pressure unlike any other beginning to bare down on his fist. He felt himself becoming overwhelmed by it, so much that he almost didn't realize that the two were stuck in mid air. Zen felt like he couldn't his body at all, as if some invisible force was pushing against him from all sides. The strongest point was at his fist which continued to get stronger. The sound of cracking glass grew even louder until Zen was able to see something appearing above his knuckles. It was thin line which appeared a crack of some sort. Suddenly it extended upwards, branching out further until the cracks extended to all sides of Zen's fist. Izuku was just as shocked as Zen. He was the first to see the cracks forming, and whatever it was, it was like an invisible wall was keeping his body from moving any further forward. Not only that, but it was like that force was steadily getting stronger all the while starting to push against him.

Seeing that the two of them were stuck, Cementoss used the chance to try and create a wall between them to stop them. Right as he created the wall, it instantly shattered apart upon rising from the ground. Shocked, he tried to do so again, but the same kept happening. In fact, each one he tried to create seemed to break down faster than the last.

"What's going on? It's like some force is breaking apart the earth instantly. Not only that, but the ground... It's starting to shake!" Cementoss said in a shocked tone, as he felt the ground under him beginning to tremble.

Midnight tried to stop them as well using her power which was beginning to make it's way to the two of them, but what she saw completely caught her off guard. The gas that was produced from her body instantly dissipated once it got closer to the two students. She kept up her efforts, however it continued to be futile and not only that, but her aroma's were being dispersed earlier as time when on.

"What's is this? Something is disrupting the air itself... W-What is that thing?" Midnight asked upon seeing the crack from Zen's fist growing larger. Suddenly the quaking of the earth grew even fiercer to the point where she could barely keep her balance.

"W-What is this? I can't mo-" Before Zen could finish his sentence, the force from the crack suddenly increased many fold everywhere.

The earth itself started shaking uncontrollably, and the air around them distorted especially around the unknown cracks. The entire arena under them began breaking apart which cracks in earth quickly beginning to spread everywhere. Both Midnight and Cementoss were blown away the sudden shockwave. It didn't stop there however, when the cracks in the earth reached even the outer edges of the stadium. The glass in the announcers booth shattered in an instant while also blowing back Aizawa and Present Mic. The entire stadium shook like it was being hit by an earthquake. Everyone including the audience, students, and heroes struggled to remain in their seats as the force made the entire structure tremble. Panic and chaos engulfed the whole stadium, as no one was able to comprehend what was happening or where the earthquake had come from. The lights all burst apart as the quake grew more and more powerful to the point where even the heroes standing guard outside could feel it, and were forced to the ground. At the center of this, Zen and Izuku felt the immense pressure which threatened to overwhelm both of them. Izuku roared, as he tried his hardest to push against it, but it was futile as eventually the force blasted both of them away in opposite directions. Izuku was smashed against the wall beside the hall where he entered. Zen was catapulted downwards towards the shattered remains of the arena, crashing into the earth below. As soon as that happened, the cracks appeared from Zen's fist instantly disappeared as mysteriously as they first appeared.

A large cloud of dust and smoke engulfed the center of the stadium where majority of the damage of the earthquake was caused. Soon enough, the quakes came to a steady halt, as everyone tried to hold onto something to maintain their balance and ride out the rest of the chaos.

"Is everyone alright?" Hina asked, getting up from the ground while readjusting her glasses. Everyone nodded, as they tried to get a grip on something to regain their balance.

"W-What was that? Did an earthquake just hit?" Kirishima said, holding tightly to his seat while rubbing his ringing ears.

"It felt like it... but it felt a little weird. Also what was that crack coming from Takeda's fist? It looked like the air itself was cracked like glass. I didn't know he could do something like that" Momo said in amazement.

"He can't... At least I've seen him do something like that before. Wait. Where are the two of them?" Hina asked in a worried tone. Her eyes roamed all over the devastated stadium below, but the dust and smoke completely blocked her view.

While everyone else tried to recover from the sudden quake, Present Mic and Aizawa slowly pulled themselves back up in their booth. Present Mic slowly grabbed the microphone and nervously looked down at the scene below.

"W-Well now... That was certainly surprising! But it looks like everyone is alright!" Present Mic said with relief.

Aizawa pulled himself up and looked down at the center of the stadium. To the side he could see Cementoss and Midnight slowly get up while rubbing their heads. Overall they seemed fine, but he couldn't find Zen and Izuku. He couldn't help but think back to the strange cracks that appeared from Zen's fist, although it was now gone with no trace of it ever being there.

"(Did that earthquake come from Takeda's quirk? His power can create quakes, but that was much too strong... Did that crack have something to do with this?)" Aizawa thought before squinting down at the clearing clouds of dust.

Once the center finally became visible, everyone could see Zen in the middle of a large crater in the ground. He was short on breath while kneeling on one knee. His face was tired and pained while tightly clutched his right arm. Looking down, he saw and felt something he hadn't in a long time. His arm was broken much like Izuku's before. The excruciating pain shooting through his body instantly made him think back to when he first learned to use his quirk.

"(Damn... Did I use too much power? No... I haven't done that in ages. Midoriya couldn't have done it, we didn't even-)," Zen's eyes narrowed as he thought back to what happened right before they clashed. The images of the strange cracks in the air flashed through his mind, and how he wasn't able to move at all when it happened. Looking up, he could see that there was nothing left there.

"Was that from me?" Zen asked no one in particular, as he looked down at his trembling, bruised hand. Looking back up, he tried to look around for Izuku until finally he spotted a massive crater in the side of a wall across from him. Izuku was completely embedded in it with his eyes closed. Midnight quickly ran over to him to pulled him down before resting him on his back. He was breathing softly, and his expression was one filled with exhaustion. Blood and bruises covered his whole body with the worst of it being his arms which was difficult for most people in the stands to look at. Signaling Present Mic, he nodded.

"It looks like Izuku Midoriya is both out of bounds and no longer able to fight, so the winner of this match is Zen Takeda!" Present Mic announced before the whole stadium erupted in both cheer and confusion. Zen couldn't even hear them, as he was too focused on his own thoughts. He watched as several people came with a stretcher and carefully carried him up. As he taken away, Zen felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking up, he saw his sister giving him a worried smile.

"Come on, let's get you fixed up," Hina said, giving his shoulder a tight squeeze.

"Right..." he said quietly.

O-O

"How thoughtless can you be?!" Recovery Girl scolded while smacking Zen's head with a ruler. He looked down as she yelled at him.

"Come on, Ma'am. Be a little easier on him," Hina sighed. She was currently tending to his broken arm with her quirk while Recovery Girl prepared materials for Izuku's recovery. The green haired boy was resting in the bed across from them with a pained look on his face.

"No, she's right. I went too far in fighting him. I tried to control myself, but I couldn't bring myself to hold back anymore," Zen apologized.

"Honestly, you are just as reckless as your grandfather! And this boy here isn't innocent in this either. He didn't listen to my advice and now look at him. We'll need to get ready for surgery immediately. Hina, I'm going to get the rest of the materials we need. After you heal up your brother, get ready to operate," Recovery Girl said.

"Yes Ma'am. I'll be done shortly," Hina said. Recovery Girl nodded before closing the door, leaving the three of them in silence. After a short while, Hina looked up at Zen while continuing to use her quirk on his arm.

"So... what exactly happened? It's not like you to go overboard with using your quirk," Hina asked, as she watched his arm slowly recovering.

"I'm not sure... I know I didn't put more power into my quirk than I can handle, but my arm couldn't have broken otherwise. I can't explain what happened with that cracking thing either," Zen said with uncertainty in his voice.

"Yeah, I've seen you or our grandfather do anything like that. But it must have been from your quirk. There's no other explanation to how your arm could've taken damage like this or where that earthquake came from," Hina said. Nodding, Zen sat quietly with her, unsure of what to say. Remembering what he saw during their fight, and their memories that came back, he looked up at her.

"Hey... I saw our grandfather..." Zen said with soft look in his eyes. Hina was taken off guard, even pausing her healing for a second.

"What? What do you mean?" Hina asked in a surprised tone.

"When I fought Midoriya, I kept seeing our grandfather in him. He reminded me so much of him. Not skill-wise of course, but just everything else about him," Zen said while looking over to the unconscious Izuku.

"I see. So was that why you were acting so weird earlier? No wonder you looked like you were seeing a ghost. There, finished," Hina said, taking her hands off of his arm. Raising his arm up, Zen stretched it, and balled it into a fist several times.

"Not only that, but... when he knocked me out. I remembered something...," Zen said, his voice getting more relaxed which Hina hadn't heard in a while.

"What was it?" Hina said, tilting her head to the side.

"It felt like I was back to being a kid on that day... I finally heard our grandfather's last words. Words that I thought I would never find..." Zen said to the shock of Hina. She knew that the trauma during that day had fractured his mind and messed with his memory, but that didn't change the fact that it was there somewhere, deep down. For him to remember that, she knew there must've been something big to trigger the memory that he had desired to remember so desperately all this time.

After explaining it all to her, Hina couldn't help but chuckle a little.

"That does sound like something he would say..." she said with small smile.

"I thought I would never be able to remember what he said that day... but for some reason, I was able to remember it so vividly while I was knocked out," Zen said, looking down at his hands.

"So how are you feeling?" Hina asked. She could immediately that he was different now than an hour earlier. His face was so much more relaxed, and his eyes seemed really tired.

"I-I feel a little better actually... Like a big weight was taken off my shoulders... but at the same time, I also feel really bad. I feel like all this time, I've been going against his words to me," Zen said with a guilty tone in his voice.

"It's not your fault... You went through a lot that day, and even more since then," Hina said, reassuring him.

"It's not just that. This whole time, I've been thinking that I was alone and that I didn't need anything else but strength. But I've been wrong. I haven't been alone. You've been here for me all this time and I've been so cold to you. I realize now that I must've made things so hard for you... I'm so sorry, sis," Zen apologized. She saw the look in his eyes. There was a small warmth there that she hadn't seen in years. His expression was genuinely one filled with guilt, and for her to see this vulnerable side to him, it almost brought her to tears. Shaking her head, a big smile formed on her face. She gently pulled him into a hug which caught him off guard at first, but relaxed into it upon feeling her warmth.

"You don't have to apologize. I know you've been through so much. I'm the one who should be sorry that I haven't been able to help you more, but I promise I'll do more. Just please... remember that if you need to talk about anything that I'll always be here for you, okay?" Hina said, her eyes filled with emotion.

"Yeah... I promise..." Zen said, before hugging her back. Once they separated, the two of them sighed.

"So, did you remember that other thing by any chance?" Hina asked. Knowing what she was referring to, he shook his head. He placed his hand over his scar before sighing.

"No... I couldn't remember anything about that... Maybe one day I will, but for now I just need to keep moving forward, right?" Zen said, giving Hina a small smile. She nodded to him, while keeping her hand on his free one. Just then, the door opened to reveal Recovery Girl pushing a cart full of various tools and fluids.

"Alright, everything is ready. Hina, let's get started immediately," Recovery Girl said, as she pushed the cart beside Izuku's bed.

"Right. Zen, we can talk more at home, alright?" Hina said, before putting on gloves.

"Yeah. Please look after him. There's a lot I'm going to need to talk to him about after this," Zen said before taking another look at the boy before going out the door. She nodded, as he closed the door. Preparing her tools, she and Recovery Girl stood over Izuku.

"(Thank you, Midoriya. Honestly...)" Hina thought before beginning her work.

O-O

As the two doctors began their operation, Zen leaned against the wall outside the door. He wasn't fully aware of what was going on, but he wanted to stick around until they finished, as he knew he had some time before his next match, between the break that was called to fix the arena, as well as the matches that would come after.

Looking down at his hands, he couldn't help but contemplate everything that had happened within the past day. He started out wanting to just have a good chance to get stronger through a challenge, but he ended up getting so much more. In fact, his desire for a good fight was now all but gone. He felt a sense of relief flowing through him as his grandfather's voice continued to ring in his head. Sighing he relaxed his head back against the wall, feeling all the steady vibrations that were amplified by his quirk. As he did this, he was able to sense someone steadily approaching before coming to a stop around the corner. Looking over, he couldn't see anyone, but could definitely tell someone was there. Suddenly, the vibrations grew much larger and stronger than before. It was then that All Might walked around the large man flashed his trademark smile, as he walked up to the boy.

"Ah, young Takeda! Good to see you are fully recovered. That was an excellent match!" he said cheerfully.

"Um. Thank you, All Might. So what are you doing here?" Zen asked.

"I just came to check up on the two of you. How is young Midoriya?" He asked, taking a look at the door with Recovery Girl's sign on it.

"My sister and Recovery Girl are perfroming surgery on his wounds. I'm pretty sure he'll recover, but I know the damage he took won't go all away. I suppose that's partly my fault..." Zen said, looking down at his feet. He felt All Might's large hand rest on his shoulder.

"Don't blame yourself, young Takeda. You didn't have much choice. Young Midoriya wanted you to fight with your all. Your grandfather was the one who said that it is disrespectful to not give your all when your opponent does the same, right?" All Might said, hoping cheering the black haired boy up.

"Yeah, you're right. Thanks, All Might," Zen said, feeling a little better. He wasn't sure why, but All Might's presence alone was enough to make him feel strange. In fact, it felt strangely familiar to Izuku's own when they fought earlier.

"Ah yes, before I forget, here's your new uniform. Can't go out like that in your next match, can you?" All Might said, while handing him a new blue uniform to replace his old one. Zen just realized that he was still almost fully bare chested with only small scraps hanging onto his arm and neck after what happened during his last match. Grabbing the new uniform, Zen bowed and thanked the taller hero.

"I wanted to give Midoriya one as well, but that can wait until he's up and running. Anyway, there is still some time before your next match. Be sure to relax until then and give it your all, okay?" All Might said while giving him a thumbs up. Zen nodded before All Might quickly burst off with incredible speed, disappearing from sight before Zen knew it. Zen blinked a few times before going to the restroom to get changed into his new clothes. Once he returned, he took his original position against the wall before closing his eyes.

Some time passed while Zen could both feel and hear the other matches taking place. He wasn't sure what the outcomes were, but he could tell they were intense from the vibrations he was feeling under his feet and against his head. Soon enough they came to an end before finally the door to the infirmary opened, revealing Hina taking off her gloves and mask.

"How did it go?" Zen asked.

"Well we were able to stabilize him, but he'll have to wear a cast for a while. Not only that, but the damage to his arm was pretty bad. He'll likely have some scarring once he's recovered," Hina said, sighing upon recalling the extent of the damage to his arms and body.

"I see..." Zen said, casting his eyes down. Before he could ask further, he looked over to see Momo, Ojiro, Mina, Kirishima, and Jiro running over to them.

"There you are! We've been looking for you," Momo said.

"What's the matter?" Zen asked, confused as to why they were there.

"You haven't heard? Your match has been decided," Ojiro said.

"I see. So who am I up against?" Zen asked, curious.

"Well the thing is..." Mina said, twiddling her fingers. Sighing Momo spoke up.

"The final match will be special this year. It will be a three way battle royal. It's you against Bakugo and Todoroki,"

 **And there you have it. With everything that's been going on, I've had a bit more time to work on my stories, so I decided to make another chapter for this story. Hopefully everyone reading is staying safe and healthy. Thank you so much for continuing to support me, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


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